


The Road Refuses Strangers

by enigmaticblue



Series: If All Else Fails [5]
Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-31
Updated: 2013-08-31
Packaged: 2017-12-25 05:29:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 67,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/949163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Atlantis continues to face enemies in the Pegasus Galaxy, including renewed threats from the Wraith, and continued pressure from Kolya. But those on Atlantis must also decide what kind of relationship they will maintain with those on Earth, and how many refugees they can handle. And as threats continue mounting, and they face increasingly more difficult decisions, something will have to break.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Artwork for The Road Refuses Strangers by enigmaticblue](https://archiveofourown.org/works/947863) by [danceswithgary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithgary/pseuds/danceswithgary). 



> Title from the U2 song, “White As Snow.” Written for the 2013 scifibigbang. Although this is the last long fic in the series, I can’t promise there won’t be other, shorter fics in the future. Still, you should consider this series complete.

_“There are a lot of people who had a hard time leaving Earth, but not me. I mean, yeah, there were things I missed about Earth, but Atlantis is awesome, and my family was_ here _. I was a little lost after Mom died, and I felt like I was lacking a purpose. When Teal’c showed up and told me I was needed, it felt like a gift. Being with my family, being on Atlantis—for me, it was a gift. I’ve never looked back.”_ ~Interview with Cassandra Fraiser

 

Cam felt the shudder of the _tel’tak_ as Jon landed on a nondescript planet inside the Milky Way Galaxy. There wasn’t much there, but it had a gate, and that was the important thing. They had decided to use the gate to get to Dakara, since they couldn’t guarantee they wouldn’t be shot down. At least if they went through the gate, they might be able to talk the guards into not shooting them.

 

They had stopped at another planet on the way to find suitable clothing for a variety of situations. Jon had Earth-appropriate clothing, and Cam had managed to scrounge what he needed from various people on Atlantis, so they could have headed straight for Earth, but Cam wanted to check in with Teal’c.

 

But they still hadn’t decided who was going to Dakara, since Jon seemed to think that there was a chance they’d capture Cam and turn him in to whoever issued the warrant for his arrest, and that Jon should be the one to make contact.

 

“Look, they know you, but they don’t know me,” Jon said, following Cam to the storage area.

 

Cam pulled on the robe they’d purchased on their last stop. “Which is exactly why I should go with you. If things have gotten worse, they might shoot first and ask questions later, and seeing a familiar face could prevent that.”

 

“And if they turn you in?” Jon countered. “You know Sam’s never going to forgive me if you get killed.”

 

“In that case, tell her I’m sorry,” Cam replied implacably, leading the way off the _tel’tak_ and towards the gate. “Look, call it superstition, but I say we don’t split up unless it’s absolutely necessary. If something happens to one of us, we’ve got no way to let the other know.”

 

Jon nodded. “All right. We stay together until we can’t. At least let me go through the gate first.”

 

“I’m the familiar face,” Cam replied. “I go first.” He grinned. “Also, I’m the senior officer.”

 

Jon grimaced. “Only by a technicality.”

 

“Still holds true,” Cam replied, pulled the hood up around his head, tugging it down to hide his face. “Dial it up, Jon.”

 

Jon gave him a sour look and tugged his own hood up, and then punched in the address for Dakara. The gate came to life, and Cam stepped through after only a second’s hesitation.

 

It turned out that Cam had been right about going through the gate first, because he was met with staff weapons pointed at him and orders to stop where he was. He raised his hands and said, “I’m Cameron Mitchell. I’m a friend of Teal’c and Bra’tac. My friend Jon is coming behind me. Teal’c and Bra’tac will vouch for both of us.”

 

The Jaffa didn’t move, and Cam took note of the insignia on their foreheads. There were three who had broken free from Apophis, one from Yu, and one from Nirrti.

 

Cam risked a look over his shoulder when he heard footsteps behind him, and saw Jon raising his hands. “We’re just looking for information. We don’t mean any harm.”

 

One of the Jaffa with the symbol for Apophis marked on his forehead barked an order to find Teal’c or Bra’tac immediately.

 

Cam remained where he was, even as he heard the gate whoosh shut behind him, feeling Jon’s presence just behind his left shoulder.

 

“Some welcoming party,” Jon muttered in an undertone.

 

“Can’t blame ‘em for being cautious,” Cam whispered.

 

There was a buzz of interest, and then Cam caught sight of Teal’c striding towards them, Bra’tac on his heels. “Colonel Mitchell,” Teal’c said, real warmth in his voice. “ _Tek ma’te_.”

 

“ _Tek ma’tek_ , Teal’c,” Cam replied. “It’s good to see you again.” They embraced in the Jaffa way, as warriors, and then Teal’c repeated the gesture with Jon as Cam said, “Master Bra’tac, it’s a pleasure as always.”

 

“Come,” Bra’tac replied. “You must be hungry after your journey.”

 

Cam figured that was Bra’tac’s way of telling them not to speak in front of the others, and he and Jon followed them to a small, comfortable house. They sat on low cushions and Bra’tac provided them with tankards of cool, clear water.

 

“I hope it’s okay that we came here,” Cam began, sensing some tension.

 

Bra’tac grunted. “Your presence is not ideal, but I do not believe anyone will move against you.”

 

“What’s going on?” Jon asked bluntly.

 

“The Ori have silver tongues,” Bra’tac said. “And there are those who would exchange freedom for slavery. We fight each other for control, and a smile may hide a dagger. There is also much resentment against the Tau’ri for abandoning their friends.”

 

Cam bit back the heated retort that sprang to his lips, knowing that even if the SGC hadn’t intended to abandon the Free Jaffa Nation, that was probably what it looked like from the outside. He took a deep breath, and told himself that he ought to be grateful for Bra’tac’s concise summation of the situation.

 

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” Cam said diplomatically.

 

Bra’tac waved off his apology. “I know the Tau’ri have their own troubles now. We must stand or fall on our own.”

 

“Have you had any word from Earth?” Jon asked.

 

Teal’c shook his head. “Did any other teams from the SGC make it to Atlantis?”

 

“One, Dr. Lam and her team,” Cam replied. “Other than the team you guys found dead from the Ori plague, there’s been no sign of any others.”

 

Teal’c looked very grave. “A few of our settlements have come under attack by the Ori as well. And there are some Goa’uld that have begun to rebuild their forces. Some Jaffa have chosen to serve their old masters for the security they think it will provide them against the Ori.”

 

“Have many Jaffa have joined the Ori?” Jon asked.

 

Bra’tac shook his head. “Too many. They seek to replace one god with another,” he added, sounding disgusted.

 

“You can stay here tonight,” Teal’c said. “I assume you have a ship.”

 

“We parked it somewhere safe,” Jon replied. “We don’t want to put you out.”

 

“It would be good to share a meal,” Teal’c replied. “And we can arrange to meet at Bra’tac’s sanctuary at some future date. If you are not there, I will know to come and find you.”

 

Cam shook his head emphatically. “No. If something happens, you’re not going to do anybody any good getting caught. We know the risks.”

 

Teal’c seemed to search Cam’s face, and seeing that he was serious, inclined his head. “Then it would be best if you did not get caught.”

 

“You said it.” Jon agreed. “We’ll do our best.”


	2. Plans

_“A lot of things were happening at once. We discovered the means for creating ZedPMs, and we’d found a dart. Carson and the chemists were working on a way to create a poison that would work on the Wraith, but wouldn’t harm humans. We still had to deal with the Genii, and get food, and build alliances. And we all knew that it might not be enough, and that we might all die.”_

 

~Interview with Rodney McKay

 

The party was in full swing when John entered the room with Rodney in tow. “This seems a little ridiculous,” Rodney muttered.

 

“Relax, McKay, it’s a party,” John replied. “It’s a chance to blow off some steam.”

 

“I could be running more simulations,” Rodney protested.

 

John clapped him on the shoulder and steered him towards the table with the alcohol. “They’ll be there later.”

 

John got them each a drink, and they began to make the rounds. Elizabeth had invited representatives from all of their allies, including any Athosians who wanted to come. She’d even invited Ladon Radim in an attempt to solidify their relationship with the Genii—at least the ones who hadn’t gone over to Kolya’s side.

 

John honestly couldn’t figure out whether that was pure genius, or wrongheaded optimism, but Elizabeth was the diplomat, not him.

 

And as General O’Neill had said, “It’s good to keep your enemies close. It’s a hell of a lot easier to kill them that way.”

 

There was food as well, and they piled their plates with meat rolls and fruit and honey cakes. John knew his role was to circulate, to make small talk and charm the guests, as well as keep an eye on everyone. He saw Barnes and Dawson talking to Cassie in one corner, and Sam and Zelenka were animatedly talking geek with O’Neill looking on indulgently.

 

Someone—maybe Daniel—had nixed the idea of live entertainment as being too difficult to organize, so they’d arranged to play classical music over the sound system. There were a few people dancing, including Daniel and Vala, although they mostly swayed in place.

 

Not a bad party, overall.

 

“Ladon, it’s good to see you again,” John said with a smile he hoped wasn’t too insincere.

 

Ladon appeared skeptical, although he replied pleasantly enough. “It’s my pleasure, Colonel. Thank you for the invitation.”

 

“It was Elizabeth’s idea,” John admitted.

 

“Why does that not surprise me?” Ladon asked with a smile. “Still, it was good of you to allow it.” He paused, and then added, “I probably don’t need to tell you that Kolya is quite invested in your demise.”

 

John was grateful that Rodney was on the other side of the room, talking to Sam and Zelenka. McKay wouldn’t have been able to resist an angry response, or even a diatribe against Kolya, but John sensed the need to go slowly.

 

Ladon didn’t give up information easily at the best of times.

 

“I’d be disappointed if he wasn’t,” John said. “Do you have any specific information?”

 

Ladon’s expression gave nothing away, but John thought he saw a hint of guilt in his eyes. “No, nothing specific.”

 

John didn’t believe him, and not just because he believed only about half of what came out of Ladon’s mouth. “I see.”

 

“Watch your back, Colonel,” Ladon said. “Just a friendly word of warning.”

 

“Always do,” John replied.

 

Ladon wandered away, and Ronon and Teyla approached him. “What did he want?” Ronon growled.

 

“Apparently, Kolya wants my head on a platter, but what else is new?” John said lightly.

 

Teyla frowned. “What _is_ new is that Ladon went out of his way to warn you. I do not like it. Did he not give more specific information?”

 

“No, he didn’t,” John replied. “But he knows more than he’s letting on.”

 

“I believe that is obvious,” Teyla said. “You should tell Elizabeth.”

 

John glanced around the room. “Not tonight. I’ll bring it up with her tomorrow. I don’t have another mission for a few days anyway.”

 

“We must be extra cautious,” Teyla said.

 

Ronon grunted his agreement.

 

“Hey, it’s a party,” John said. “No sense in worrying about it now.”

 

John pushed all thoughts of Kolya to the back of his mind; the fact that Kolya wanted him dead wasn’t exactly news, and there was nothing he could do about it but proceed with caution—which was pretty much what he did every time they went through the gate. No matter what Rodney said.

 

Speaking of Rodney—John looked around the room and saw him talking with Daniel. Given their emphatic gestures, John suspected they were arguing. The room appeared to be emptying out, their guests beginning to head for the gate room with their assigned escorts.

 

Time to go.

 

John made his way over to Rodney, stopping to bid farewell to Brista and a couple of other Ebrus, and then Rivert and his wife, who looked regal and slightly flushed. He gripped Rodney’s shoulder, and Rodney stopped mid-sentence. “What?”

 

“I think we can probably leave now,” John said.

 

Rodney frowned, and for a second John thought he might refuse, but then he smiled smugly. “Oh, right. We had that thing.”

 

John smirked. “Yeah, that thing.”

 

He nodded at Lorne as they walked out of the room, knowing his XO had stayed sober and would take any incoming calls until 6 am, when John would be back on duty. Even though he was on call, Lorne looked like he was having a good time with Laro and a couple of the other Athosians, including Halling.

 

They walked back to Rodney’s quarters, their shoulders brushing. John knew that everyone on Atlantis was aware of their relationship, but he still preferred not to be too obvious about it.

 

There were worlds in this galaxy that frowned upon same-sex relationships, and times on missions when it made things easier if John could appear unattached, so he could flirt harmlessly without anybody getting upset.

 

John would do whatever it took to make sure Atlantis stayed afloat.

 

John sometimes wondered what would happen if they re-established contact with Earth, whether it would change things. How many people would choose to stay on Atlantis, and how many would go back to Earth? Would Earth and the SGC even want them back?

 

John knew what his answer would be. Atlantis was his home. His team was his family. And while he hadn’t exactly talked to Rodney about this, John was pretty sure Rodney would say the same.

 

When the door closed behind them, Rodney pushed John up against the wall, pushing his hands up under John’s shirt, his wide, clever mouth covering John’s.

 

Rodney was about as pushy in the bedroom as he was in the lab, and there were times when John pushed back, and other times when it was just easier to let Rodney lead—if only because Rodney was both enthusiastic _and_ a genius.

 

“Who’s covering for you?” John gasped out as Rodney tweaked one of his nipples.

 

“Sam’s on call tonight,” Rodney replied. “Do you have to leave your radio on?”

 

“Lorne’s on until 6,” John said, and began nudging Rodney back toward his bed. It had taken them long enough to get here, but they’d been making up for lost time as best they could.

 

They shed their clothes quickly, getting right down to business. John paused to appreciate Rodney’s broad shoulders and his pale skin.

 

“Come on!” Rodney whined, impatient as always. “I do not want a repeat of last time. I just know that one of our guests will blow something up.”

 

John chuckled and took his time kicking off his pants. The last time they’d tried this, an emergency had interrupted them after John got off, but before Rodney had. John figured he owed Rodney for that.

 

“Lay down,” John ordered.

 

For a moment, he thought Rodney would argue, and his chin tipped up, but then he flopped down on the bed and spread his legs in blatant invitation. “Do your worst,” Rodney said airily.

 

John smirked. “How about I do my best?”

 

He put his mouth to use, and Rodney was soon reduced to incoherent muttering and pleas for John to _yes, do that_. Once John had sucked Rodney dry, John quickly jerked off while Rodney lay in a post-orgasmic haze next to him.

 

“Doing okay there, buddy?” John asked, coming after only a few quick strokes, feeling loose and warm.

 

“I think you sucked my brain out through my dick,” Rodney muttered. “Gold star for execution and enthusiasm.”

 

John performed a quick cleanup and rinsed out his mouth in the sink.

 

“Are you staying here tonight?” Rodney asked, having pulled his boxers on, stretched out on the bed, trying for nonchalant and not quite managing it.

 

John shrugged. “I thought I might.”

 

“Get over here then,” Rodney ordered, holding out an arm.

 

And while John would never admit it outside this room, he had no problem with Rodney’s need to cuddle.

 

~~~~~

 

Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief as she saw the last of their guests through the gate. The Athosians had been invited to stay, since there was a new group from Atlantis going over to the mainland the next day, but everyone else had gated home.

 

“Well, that was a successful party,” O’Neill remarked, his hands tucked into his pockets. “I’m impressed.”

 

“I feel like I had very little to do with it,” she replied.

 

O’Neill shrugged. “You brokered the alliances that had so many people here. Events like this tell everyone we’re a force to be reckoned with and allow our allies to see they’re not alone in trusting us.”

 

Elizabeth managed a smile. “I suppose that’s true.”

 

“If you won’t take my word for it, whose will you take?” O’Neill asked.

 

“I don’t have any problem taking your word for it,” Elizabeth replied wearily. “I just—don’t know whether it will make a difference.”

 

She didn’t speak of her fears often, but O’Neill was one of the few who understood. John would also get it, but he was otherwise occupied with Rodney tonight, and Elizabeth was trying not to begrudge them that comfort.

 

There were days that she felt so terribly lonely, and today had been one of those days. Being at a party where so many were paired up, Elizabeth had been reminded that there would be no one waiting for her when she went back to her quarters. She was reminded of how much work had yet to be done, and how everything they’d done might not be enough.

 

Nights like these, she felt the weight of responsibility keenly.

 

“Come on,” O’Neill said. “You sound like you could use a drink, or at least a place to relax, and Sam’s on duty tonight.”

 

Elizabeth nodded. “Sure. Why not?”

 

O’Neill produced a jug of Varani ale and a couple of glasses, and led the way to a balcony on the eastern part of the city, near his quarters. He seemed completely at home, and Elizabeth was impressed by how well he had settled in, and said as much.

 

“I’ve bounced around the world, and the galaxy,” O’Neill replied, stretching out in one of the available chairs, the darkness hiding his expression. “Atlantis is surprisingly easy to get used to, especially since most of my favorite people are here.”

 

Elizabeth smiled. “Even before all of this, Atlantis felt like home—but it’s that old adage that you never know what you have until it’s gone.”

 

“It’s entirely true that everything we do here might be for nothing,” O’Neill admitted, responding to her earlier comment. “The Wraith could destroy the city tomorrow, or Kolya could find a way to blow it up, or take it over. Or any one of a hundred things could go wrong, and we could destroy ourselves.”

 

Elizabeth gave him a dirty look. “Is this supposed to be a pep talk?”

 

O’Neill ignored her question. “I spent a good ten years trying to prevent the very thing that happened, but I helped give Earth ten more years of freedom.” He turned to meet her eyes, completely serious. “I have to believe that means something.”

 

“In other words, what we do today matters today.” It wasn’t anything Elizabeth hadn’t thought herself, but when worries for tomorrow pressed down on her mind, it was hard to believe that.

 

“And maybe tomorrow, if we’re lucky,” O’Neill agreed. “And if we’re _really_ lucky, what we build here will last generations. But let me suggest that you focus on today, and maybe tomorrow, and let the future sort itself out.”

 

“We have to plan,” Elizabeth objected—but mildly, because she understood O’Neill’s point.

 

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans,” was O’Neill’s rejoinder. “To quote another saying.”

 

Elizabeth nodded. “We make plans and hope for the best. Which is pretty much what we’ve been doing.” She hesitated. “Do you really think we should pursue the poison? I know we’re moving in that direction, but…”

 

“In a word, yes.” O’Neill sighed. “I wouldn’t normally be pro-genocide, but it was like with the Goa’uld and the Jaffa. Trust me, there are days when I wish we’d killed every single fucking Goa’uld in the universe.”

 

Elizabeth heard the fierceness in his tone, and she couldn’t blame him, knowing what had happened to Earth, to the SGC, and what O’Neill himself had suffered. She couldn’t even disagree, although she knew there had been Jaffa who had assisted Earth in its struggle to remain free.

 

“We can use it as a last resort,” O’Neill added, modulating his tone. “We can give it to our allies, and if the Wraith attack us, we can retaliate.”

 

“I agree,” Elizabeth replied quietly, swallowing past the lump in her throat. There was a time when she’d wanted to negotiate, to find a way to live in peace.

 

That time had passed. They were in Pegasus to stay, and if they couldn’t hold Atlantis, there was no one to back them up, and nowhere left for them to go.

 

“I should get going,” O’Neill said, clambering to his feet slowly, almost painfully. “Time for all good generals to be in bed. If you need an ear…” He trailed off, but Elizabeth got the point.

 

“I may take you up on that offer,” Elizabeth agreed.

 

She leaned back in her chair after O’Neill had left, glancing at the jug of ale he’d left behind, resisting the urge to fill up her glass again. She wondered where Cam was, and whether he was okay, and she suspected that they had bonded so quickly mostly because the others on SG-1 had paired off. He’d been a fifth wheel, and Elizabeth was isolated by position and circumstance.

 

And now she was isolated again.

 

With a sigh, she rose, leaving the jug where it was. Someone would find it, and probably redistribute it, and that would be fine. She didn’t think she’d be able to sleep, so she went back to her office and started going through emails and memos, all the things she didn’t have time for during the day.

 

It was very late before she got to bed.

 

~~~~~

 

Teyla watched as Ripa and Jesso circled one another warily, and she could tell they’d been taking her instruction well. They were careful not to telegraph their movements, and when Ripa struck out, her form was perfect. Jesso blocked and struck, and for a moment, there was nothing but the sound of wood on wood, grunts of exertion, and then wood striking flesh.

 

Jesso grunted at the impact and fell back, and Ripa pressed her advantage hard enough to knock Jesso on his rear end.

 

“Well done,” Teyla said warmly. “Bering, Alaan, you’re up next.”

 

They did just as well, and Teyla felt a warm glow of satisfaction. “Karlen, you’re next. Partner with Colonel Carter.”

 

Karlen smiled, wide and cocky, and Teyla kept her face straight with some effort. Colonel Carter had a great deal of training, even if it wasn’t in the Athosian style, and she believed Sam would more than hold her own.

 

Sam nodded, taking the _bantos_ Teyla held out, a smile playing around her lips as she held Teyla’s eyes for a moment.

 

Of course, Teyla had been working with Sam apart from the other Athosians, and they had no idea how good she was.

 

Karlen was young, no more than twenty, and relatively untried, and it would do him some good to get some of the arrogance knocked out of him.

 

He attacked immediately, rushing in, even though Teyla had warned him again and again not to do so, and not to underestimate his opponent.

 

Sam neatly sidestepped him, ducking under his strike and tripping him up, hitting him hard enough on the right shoulder to cause Karlen to drop his stick. Teyla probably would have pressed her advantage, just to prove a point, but Sam stepped back, relaxed but ready.

 

Karlen shook out the sting and picked up his weapon, moving a little more cautiously this time, but when he struck, his dropped shoulder signaled a clear indication of his intent. Sam was a canny enough fighter to read the move, and she ducked out of the way gracefully, her _bantos_ striking with precision.

 

Sam hit him hard enough in the side to wind him, and her second strike landed on his left thigh, just above his knee, felling him.

 

Teyla smiled. “Well done, Sam. Karlen, when you have your breath back, you can tell me what you did wrong. And Vala, perhaps you should partner with Sam.”

 

Sam and Vala were more evenly matched in some ways, since they had already been training with one another. Sam had more combat training, but Vala was smart and quick and not afraid to fight dirty.

 

That was why she wanted her guides to watch them. She wanted them to learn different styles, to learn that sometimes it was important to surprise your opponent, to think quickly.

 

Sam and Vala were grinning fiercely, clearly enjoying their contest. Teyla could see that they were pulling their blows, but not so much as to blunt the lesson. Vala danced out of the way of Sam’s strike, and Sam dodged a blow.

 

“Vala, you must keep your guard up,” Teyla called. “Sam, maintain your connection to the ground.”

 

Teyla had always believed that you could tell a lot about someone by the way they fought, and she saw the connection that Sam and Vala had, their playfulness, but also their focus, and she wanted her students to see that, too.

 

There was a joy in battle that didn’t overwhelm a true warrior, and that could instead inform a person as they fought, and Sam and Vala had that.

 

Sam knocked Vala back, and Vala twisted out of the way of another blow, striking Sam on the thigh. Another flurry of movement, and then they both stepped back at the same time.

 

At the end of the session, Teyla bade the other Athosians farewell and walked back with Vala and Sam toward their quarters. “That was well done with Karlen, Sam,” Teyla commented.

 

Sam shrugged. “I’ve watched Teal’c school young Marines before. He seemed like he needed a lesson in not underestimating his opponent.”

 

Teyla smiled. “He is very young, and while he has great potential, he needs seasoning.”

 

“Isn’t that true for all children?” Vala asked with a smile as they reached her quarters.  “Will I see you two later?”

 

“We’re running the final tests on the ZPM project today,” Sam replied. “So, probably not.”

 

Teyla shrugged. “I believe we have a briefing this afternoon to discuss tomorrow’s mission.”

 

Vala snapped her fingers. “That’s right. I knew I was forgetting something. I’ll see you there.”

 

Although Vala didn’t always accompany them, she often did so when she had nothing else to do, and Teyla appreciated her company. She was smart, tough, and charming, and a good addition to their team. Ronon liked her as well, and she knew that John welcomed Vala’s presence.

 

Teyla wasn’t sure how Rodney felt about Vala, mostly because she tended to tease Rodney and get him worked up.

 

After Teyla cleaned up, she went to Gesi’s quarters. The younger woman was out of the infirmary and getting around slowly on crutches, and Teyla made a point of checking on her, although it seemed as though Cassie Fraiser had formed a bond with her.

 

Teyla thought it was good for both of them to have a friend near their age.

 

She found Cassie with Gesi, teaching her the basics of reading and writing English, and so she left them to it after a brief visit. For once, it was a quiet day on the city.

 

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Teyla heard her radio crackle, and John’s voice said, “We’ve got a problem. There was a Wraith attack.”

 

“I’ll be in the gate room as soon as I can,” Teyla replied.

 

John, Ronon, and Vala met her there along with Dr. Lam and a medical team, as well as half a dozen Marines. Teyla knew Rodney would be working with Sam on building the ZPM, and so wouldn’t be available. John’s expression was grim, and Teyla felt her heart sink. “Where, and how bad?” she asked.

 

John signaled Chuck to dial the gate. “Gorel’s people. He said there are a number of dead and missing, and he asked for help.” John paused. “He said they’d managed to hide most of the children.”

 

Teyla swallowed hard. She knew what that meant—many orphans and few able-bodied adults. The adults would have used their last moments secreting children in hidden places, where the Wraith beams wouldn’t catch them.

 

John led the way through the gate, and they stepped through into chaos. Gorel ran up to them, blood running down the side of his face. “They came so suddenly, Colonel,” he said breathlessly. “We had no warning. It’s been so long since a culling, we had stopped keeping a look out. I know it was foolish, but—”

 

John held up a hand. “Gorel, it’s not your fault. Blame the Wraith for this. What can we do?”

 

“Will you take the children?” Gorel asked. “Those without family? Will you keep them safe?”

 

John managed to keep an impassive expression. “We can talk about it. We don’t have any kids on Atlantis right now.”

 

“We may be able to find a place for them with my people,” Teyla inserted. “If they cannot stay on Atlantis, we will find them a safe place.”

 

John looked relieved. “We’ll make sure they’re taken care of, Gorel. I promise you that. Dr. Lam here can look after any injured you might have, and we’d be happy to help out.”

 

“I’m afraid we won’t be able to meet our agreement with the _emer_ ,” Gorel said unhappily. “I’m not sure we’ll even be able to harvest enough to feed the survivors.”

 

John smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry about that right now. If need be, we can send some Marines to help out.” He turned to Barnes. “I want you to stay by the gate and keep dialing. I don’t want to risk them making a return trip.”

 

They worked to take care of the wounded, and the shell-shocked children, and then there was a crackle of the radio. “Colonel! Wraith!”

 

Teyla didn’t immediately recognize the voice, but John barked, “Where are you, Ruiz?”

 

“To the west of the village, sir, about twenty yards,” Ruiz replied. “We thought we saw something, and I know there are at least three of them. I think they got Carlisle.”

 

Ronon had been working next to Teyla to clear out rubble from a house, and he started running in Ruiz’s direction, Teyla on his heels. Ronon’s blaster was already in his hand, and Teyla readied her P-90. Up ahead, there was a scream, and Ronon increased his pace. Teyla worked hard to keep up, but she was half a dozen paces behind him when they came upon the Wraith.

 

The young Marine in its grasp screamed again, her hair graying at the temples. Ronon fired, striking the Wraith in the side, causing it to drop the Marine. A movement caught Teyla’s eye, and she saw a small girl on the ground, no more than six, staring up at the Wraith in horror, frozen with fear.

 

Teyla darted forward, snatching the girl up into her arms, and holding her tightly. “Go!” Ronon shouted. “Keep her safe.”

 

Teyla was momentarily torn, but then John and two more Marines ran up, and Teyla took the child away, shushing her softly. “My name is Teyla,” she murmured. “It will be okay. I’ve got you now.”

 

There was the sound of a P-90 firing, and then John said over the radio, “We got him. Dr. Lam, we need someone at our position pronto.”

 

Teyla kept murmuring reassurances to the girl, who refused to speak, and wondered how many more they would lose to the Wraith until they found some way to end this war.

 

~~~~~

 

There were a lot of things Evan had been asked to do in his time on Atlantis, but this was the first time he’d been asked to prepare quarters for nine orphaned kids.

 

“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do,” Evan said, looking over at Laro. “They’re a bunch of traumatized kids.”

 

“Make sure they can stay together,” Laro suggested. “Have someone to look after them, but be sure they can look after each other, too.”

 

Evan let out a breath. “I’ve never asked, but how old were you?”

 

“I was fourteen,” Laro replied. “It wasn’t the Wraith, but there was a sickness. I lived, and my parents did not. Very few in my family survived.”

 

Evan wrapped an arm around Laro’s shoulders. “I wish I could have been there.”

 

“I was very angry,” Laro confessed. “I doubt you would have liked me.”

 

“I think I would have liked you fine.” Evan pressed his forehead to Laro’s in the Athosian gesture of comfort. “I hope my family can join us someday. They’ll love you. Hell, they’ll probably adopt you.”

 

“I hope I can meet them, too,” Laro replied. “And I do not mind helping you with the children. Whatever I can do.”

 

“We should find something for them to sleep on,” Evan said, his mind going to the practicalities. “Blankets, and clothing. Even if they’re not staying here long term, we should make them comfortable.”

 

Laro nodded. “It might help if we think more in terms of making a nest. Most of them will probably have slept with family members their entire lives.”

 

That wasn’t something that Evan would have thought of, and he nodded. “I’ll check with Stackhouse. Maybe we can put them all up in one of the larger sets of quarters.”

 

Stackhouse, as usual, knew exactly what resources they had available, and had a spreadsheet and a map of the city. “I’d suggest putting them in one of the larger sets of quarters, sir, but not many have moved in yet, so they’d be alone.”

 

“What’s a better option?” Evan asked.

 

Stackhouse frowned and his fingers flew over the keyboard of his laptop. “I’d say we could put them in these two rooms,” he suggested, pointing to the rooms on the detailed map Jackson had found. “It’s near Gesi’s room, and she might be willing to help out.”

 

“Huson, too,” Laro inserted. “He often looked after children for those who were hunting.”

 

Evan thought for a moment. “Cassie might be willing to help, and I know she’s scheduled to go to the mainland in a couple of weeks with Gesi. We can see how the kids do here, and then send some of them to the Athosians if that looks like a better option. Colonel Sheppard said Teyla thought she could find places for them.”

 

“My people would welcome them,” Laro said. “And I am happy to help as well. Between all of us, we should be able to take care of them.”

 

“All right. Stackhouse, can you arrange for mattresses and blankets? And check to see where we are on clothing. While we might be able to get castoffs from the Athosians, I want to be prepared if we have to make it.” Evan went over the possibilities, wondering if he’d thought of all the logistics. “And I’ll go have a word with Corporal Dawson.”

 

Laro seemed intent on keeping him company, but Evan didn’t mind. It wasn’t often that Laro could help him with his duties, although he always took advantage of the opportunity when it presented itself.

 

“Hey, Rosie,” Evan said as he entered the kitchen.

 

The staff was busy prepping for dinner, and Dawson fixed him with a mock glare. “I know that tone of voice, sir.”

 

Evan smiled. “We have nine orphaned kids coming in, but I don’t know when. I’m sure they’re going to be hungry.”

 

Dawson grimaced. “Poor kiddos. Is this the Wraith attack that called Colonel Sheppard and his team out?”

 

Evan nodded. “Gorel apparently asked Colonel Sheppard to take the kids, at least for now.”

 

Dawson’s brow furrowed. “Colonel Sheppard’s team will be hungry when they get back, too. I’ll make sure there’s enough food for all of them. Including Ronon,” she added with an impish grin.

 

Evan chuckled. “That will be some trick. Thanks, Rosie.”

 

“Let me know if I can do anything,” Dawson said. “The kitchen keeps me pretty busy, but I like kids, and I’ll be happy to help.” She hesitated, and then added, “And you might ask Corporal Barnes to help, too.”

 

Evan raised his eyebrows. “Barnes? Are we talking about the same guy?”

 

Dawson shrugged. “I know he can be an asshole, but most of that is because he’s worried about his family. He’s got younger siblings, and he was supporting them. From what I hear, he’s good with kids, and he likes them. Plus, if you keep him busy, he’ll be less likely to get into trouble.

 

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” Evan observed.

 

“My younger brother is like that,” she agreed. “Mom and Dad finally put him into six different activities. They said all the chauffeuring was worth it.”

 

Some of the humor left her face at that, and Evan offered a reassuring smile. “Cam and Jon will take care of them.”

 

Dawson nodded and sniffed, and then raised her chin. “You’d better get out of here, sir. I still have lots of work to do before dinner.”

 

Evan knew better than to interfere with a cook when dinner was on the way, especially when a cook could make life difficult—and Rose Dawson was undoubtedly queen of the kitchen.

 

“Have you ever thought that Atlantis might need children?” Laro asked conversationally as they left the kitchen.

 

“No,” Evan admitted. “But that’s mostly because we’re still thinking of Atlantis as a military outpost. We haven’t started thinking about it like a colony yet.”

 

He knew there were people on Atlantis who were parents—not many, but a few, and plenty like him who had parents and siblings and nieces and nephews. Maybe it would make a difference to have kids on the city.

 

The command staff was at their wits’ end with Barnes, and if this was the solution—putting him in charge of a bunch of kids—Evan knew they’d take it.

 

“You will have more children on the city as time goes by,” Laro pointed out. “Perhaps now is the time to get used to that.”

 

Evan nodded thoughtfully. “It’s a little strange to think how much things are changing.” He rubbed his eyes. “And having kids on the city is acknowledging that things have changed.”

 

“I think I can understand,” Laro said quietly, knowingly, and Evan didn’t ask how he knew, or what he understood, because Laro had the same tone of voice he did when he was talking about his parents, or his family.

 

Evan took Laro’s hand, intertwining their fingers, and Laro squeezed back.

 

He had no idea where he’d be without Laro; Evan was grateful that he’d never find out.

 

“Major Lorne, Colonel Sheppard is coming through,” Dr. Weir said over the radio. “He requested your presence in the gate room.”

 

“You up for meeting the kids?” Evan asked, glancing at Laro.

 

Laro smiled. “Of course.”


	3. Power Surge

_“Once we succeeded in building a ZPM, we knew we had a fighting chance. Each one took a lot of resources, and a lot of energy, but being able to fully power the city made a huge difference. Systems we didn’t know existed came online, and those with a strong gene said that Atlantis felt different, too. I wouldn’t know, since the gene didn’t really take for me. Jack started having dreams—he thought they might be memories of the city itself. But we all knew it was just a matter of time before the Wraith found the city, and we wanted to be prepared.”_

 

~Interview with Samantha Carter

 

Jack watched from the doorway as Corporal Barnes teased the kids into laughing. He had them playing tag, and he tickled them every chance he got. The kids had warmed to Barnes considerably over the last few days, and Sheppard had been talking about assigning Barnes to watch over them on a permanent basis.

 

It was a good solution; Barnes was steadier, the kids were settling in, and the city was changing.

 

Atlantis didn’t feel like a last resort anymore; it was starting to feel like home.

 

The city shuddered under his feet, and Jack was about to call for answers over the radio when Sam made a call on the citywide channel. “That was the new ZPM initializing. There’s nothing to worry about.”

 

“How is it looking?” Jack asked.

 

“Really good,” Sam said a little breathlessly. “Gotta go. I’ll give you an update soon.”

 

Elizabeth was on the mainland, taking a bit of a break with the Athosians upon Jack’s insistence. She’d protested that she couldn’t possibly leave when they were installing the new ZPM; Jack had countered that there would never be a good time, and she ought to go anyway. They could always call her back.

 

Elizabeth was starting to get that look Jack recognized from soldiers he’d served with, the ones who had been out in the field too long. Jack knew he didn’t have much to offer, other than his experience. He wasn’t physically capable of fieldwork, and he could barely limp around the city at times.

 

But he knew people, and he had more than thirty years of experience to draw on. If this was going to be their home, they had to preserve personnel both mentally and physically. Jack had placed himself in charge of that sort of thing.

 

He had his work cut out for him, that was for sure.

 

“Barnes, you’re lookin’ good,” Jack called.

 

Barnes gave him a thumbs up before he was buried under a pile of children, and Jack grinned. He walked down the hall, making the rounds, and the city shuddered once again. Jack put a hand up to brace himself against the wall, and felt—something.

 

He went down to his knees, letting out an involuntary cry of pain as he hit the hard floor, although kept his hand on the wall, unable to completely break contact. There was a rush of images without context or explanation, so overwhelming that he grayed out for a minute, unable to process what was happening.

 

“Sir! Are you okay?”

 

Jack blinked up at the ceiling. “What?”

 

“Are you okay, sir?” Sergeant Robbins asked again, leaning over him, her face pale and expression slightly panicked.

 

“What happened?” Jack muttered.

 

Robbins shook her head. “I’m not sure, General. I’ve got a headache, and I had some weird flashes, but that’s about it. I don’t think I got hit as hard as you did.”

 

She offered him a hand up, and Jack took it, standing shakily. “Was anyone else affected?” he asked.

 

“I’m not sure.”

 

“Jack!” Sam called over the radio. “Are you okay?”

 

“I think so,” he replied. “What happened?”

 

“There were some systems that came online when we initialized the ZPM,” she said. “McKay went down pretty hard. It looks like everyone with the gene was affected in some way. Has anybody heard from Sheppard or Lorne?”

 

“Not yet,” Jack said. “Robbins, go find Sheppard and Lorne. Their genes are just as strong as mine, and if it’s hitting the gene carriers, they’ll be affected.”

 

Robbins looked torn. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”

 

Jack waved her off. “Duly noted, but I’ll be fine. I’m heading to the infirmary right now.”

 

Robbins gave him a dubious look, but she nodded. “Yes, sir.”

 

Jack waited until she was gone before he put a hand against the wall again, beginning to sort things out in his mind. He could feel a presence that he hadn’t felt before, a strange, steady pressure on his mind.

 

When the answer came to him, Jack jerked his hand away from the wall. It seemed that Atlantis was awake.

 

Jack limped down the hall towards the transporter, knowing that they’d be expecting him in the infirmary. He resolutely pushed the idea of Atlantis’ sentience—or at least its presence—to the back of his mind.

 

The infirmary was in an uproar when he arrived, with Dr. Lam calmly giving orders in the midst of it. Personnel were entering in a steady stream, dragging or helping their comrades inside. In the face of all of those present, Jack felt as though his problems were fairly minor; at least he’d arrived under his own steam.

 

“General!” Lam said. “I suppose you were affected, too.”

 

“I blacked out briefly, but I feel fine,” he insisted, not bothering to mention his headache, which wasn’t the worst he’d had. “How are the others?”

 

“Some seem to have been affected more than others,” Lam replied. “Have a seat.” She paused. “Wherever you can find a place.”

 

Jack found an unoccupied chair and sat, careful not to come into contact with the wall. After a few minutes, a nurse came by, popped a thermometer in his mouth, and took his blood pressure.

 

“Your blood pressure is slightly elevated, but still within normal range,” he informed Jack. “Just stay put, sir. The doctor will be with you shortly.”

 

“Where’s Carson?” Jack asked, realizing that he hadn’t seen Beckett when he entered the infirmary.

 

The nurse shook his head. He didn’t have a nametag, and Jack didn’t recognize him. “Dr. Beckett went down pretty hard. He’s regained consciousness, but he’s still a little out of it.”

 

“Sheppard and Lorne?” Jack asked.

 

The nurse shook his head. “No word yet. I’ll let you know when we hear something.”

 

Jack didn’t plan on moving, since he was still feeling a little shaky and trying very hard to ignore the insistent pressure on his mind. He’d probably think he was going crazy if so many others hadn’t been affected. He was still sitting there when Laro dragged Lorne in.

 

“Help!” Laro called. “Please!”

 

Lam hurried over to Lorne’s side. “Let’s find a bed.”

 

One of the patients who had recovered enough rolled out of bed, finding another chair on the edge of the room. Laro got Lorne into bed and hovered nearby as Lam examined him. Jack moved closer so he could hear.

 

“Major?” Lam said, tapping him on the cheek. “Major, wake up.”

 

Lorne’s eyes fluttered open. “Doc? What happened?”

 

“You tell me,” she said. “Laro, are you okay? All the gene carriers seem to be affected.”

 

Laro shrugged. “I was unconscious for a minute, perhaps two, but Evan was hurt worse.”

 

“Not hurt,” Lorne protested quietly. “Just overwhelmed. Where’s Sheppard?”

 

“We don’t know,” Lam replied. “Is there anywhere he would go?”

 

Lorne frowned, his eyes sliding shut again. “Dunno. Sorry, doc.”

 

Jack hesitated, and then he put his hand against the wall, sending out a silent query. “You’d better send a team to the chair room,” he said after a moment, the information just _there_ suddenly. “That’s where Sheppard is.”

 

He had no idea how he knew, but he did.

 

“Send a team,” Lam ordered the same nurse who had taken Jack’s blood pressure. “Do it now.”

 

Jack wanted to go with them, but he was still a little unsteady on his feet, and he knew he’d be more hindrance than help.

 

He just wondered what it was they’d gotten themselves into.

 

~~~~~

 

“Get me to the chair room,” McKay said, gritting his teeth.

 

“I think you need to go to the infirmary,” Sam countered. She had been a little dizzy at first, but it had passed quickly, and she’d already checked on Jack and Cassie, who both seemed to be okay, suffering only mild effects from whatever it was. “I can call for help.”

 

McKay shook his head. “No, we have to go to the chair room. Please, Sam.” Sam hesitated, and he added, “It’s for John.”

 

“If you can walk, we can both go, but I’m not going to drag your ass,” Sam said. She did offer a hand up, and she stayed next to McKay to make sure he wasn’t going to fall over again.

 

McKay shot her a dirty look. “Your concern is touching.”

 

“I’m concerned,” Sam protested. “But when half the city is down, I don’t have time to drag you around. You’re mobile, and Sheppard isn’t responding, so you do the math.”

 

McKay took a deep breath. “Okay, yeah, I’m good.”

 

Sam put a hand on his arm. “Come on.”

 

She maintained contact with McKay as they made their way to the chair room, and she wondered at how much things had changed. It used to be that she would have avoided physical contact like the plague, but now he was far too interested in Sheppard to hit on her.

 

Sam liked the change.

 

They reached the chair room, and Sam had no idea how McKay had known Sheppard would be there, but he was stretched out in the chair, his hands buried in the gel pads, his expression blank.

 

McKay stumbled forward, but Sam held him back. “Wait. We don’t know what’s going on, and we don’t want to injure him.”

 

McKay wore a disgruntled expression. “We don’t know anything.”

 

“Exactly,” Sam replied. “Just—hang on.”

 

“John!” McKay called, his voice sharp. “Let me know you’re in there, at least.”

 

Sheppard didn’t open his eyes. “I’m good, McKay. How are you? I know that hit everybody pretty hard.”

 

“ _What_ hit us hard?” McKay demanded, his hands clenching and unclenching; he was clearly restraining himself from bodily removing Sheppard from the chair. “What do you know?”

 

“Atlantis is waking up,” Sheppard replied vaguely. “She didn’t mean to hurt anybody. She was just reaching out to anybody who would listen.”

 

McKay squawked in outrage. “And what are you doing in the chair?”

 

“Talking to the city,” Sheppard replied, like it should be obvious. “Give me a few minutes, Rodney. I’m okay. It’s going to be fine.”

 

“Do you know where Major Lorne is?” Sam asked.

 

Sheppard was silent for a long moment, and then he said, “Laro took him to the infirmary. He’s okay.”

 

“John, get out of the chair!” McKay snapped.

 

Sheppard didn’t open his eyes. “Easy, McKay. I’m good here. In fact, I’m great.”

 

He didn’t sound great, Sam thought. He sounded distracted, out of it, almost drugged, and she wondered what the hell was going on with him—what was going on, period.

 

The chair rotated, and then moved into the upright position, and Sheppard opened his eyes. “Hey, guys.”

 

“John!” McKay rushed forward, grabbing Sheppard by the shoulders. “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m in one piece,” Sheppard replied easily. “I think I had an easier time with it than everybody else did. Atlantis likes me.”

 

He sounded smug, and he was steady on his feet when he stood up, unlike most of the other gene carriers.

 

“Yes, well, she doesn’t like other people nearly as much,” McKay snapped irritably. “Come on. Infirmary. You need to have your head examined.”

 

“Colonel Carter?” Sheppard asked. “Are you okay?”

 

Sam shrugged. “I’m fine. We should probably get you to a doctor, and I want to check on Jack.”

 

Sheppard seemed fine, even in high spirits, as they walked to the infirmary. He trailed his fingers along the wall intermittently, and Sam watched him carefully, uncertain how she felt about this new development. They hadn’t expected Atlantis to develop sentience; Sam would have expected Daniel to have said something if records of self-awareness existed.

 

Speaking of Daniel—Sam called him over the radio, and when she couldn’t get him, she radioed Vala.

 

“We’re fine,” Vala said grimly. “Daniel’s starting to come around now.”

 

“Stay with him,” Sam said. “If it looks like he needs to go to the infirmary, take him there, but they’ve got to be busy right now.”

 

Sheppard strolled into the infirmary, with McKay hovering at his shoulder. Caroline gave Sheppard a brief exam, and then she said, “You’re completely healthy,” she said. “Get out of here.”

 

Sam found Jack sitting in a chair along one wall, and she squatted down next to him. “What happened? I couldn’t get any sense out of McKay or Sheppard.”

 

Jack shook his head. “I’m not sure you’ll get any sense out of me, to be honest. It’s a little hard to explain.”

 

“Try,” she said sharply. “I need to know, Jack. Sheppard seemed to indicate that Atlantis was sentient.”

 

Jack shook his head. “I wouldn’t say that, not exactly. The city isn’t a person as you and I think of it, but it’s aware, and it was reaching out to the gene carriers.”

 

“I don’t know what that means,” Sam complained.

 

“To be honest, I don’t know what that means either,” Jack confessed. “I just know that there’s something there beyond the ordinary.”

 

Sam wanted to understand; she wanted to feel the same thing that Jack and the other gene carriers had. She’d been disappointed when the gene therapy hadn’t really worked for her, but never more than right this moment.

 

“All right,” Sam finally said. “How long do you have to stay here?”

 

“I think I can leave now,” Jack replied. “I feel fine. Weird, but fine.”

 

Sam wasn’t about to take Jack’s word for it, knowing that he’d take any chance to escape the infirmary—especially if he didn’t feel as though he was seriously injured. “I’ll check with Dr. Lam.”

 

She grabbed Lam in between patients. “Jack wants to leave.”

 

“He can,” Lam replied. “But he needs someone to stay with him.”

 

Sam nodded. “I can do that for a while, and I’ll find someone else if I have to get back to the lab.”

 

“Better give it a full day,” Lam advised. “We’re in uncharted territory with this situation, and I’m not sure what the long term effects might be.”

 

“I’ll do what I can.”

 

Sam walked with Jack back to their quarters, knowing by now not to offer help unless he was half-conscious or falling over. She noted that Jack was doing the same thing Sheppard had, trailing his fingers along the wall.

 

“Are you still connected to Atlantis?” she asked.

 

Jack jerked his hand away from the wall. “Not exactly,” he hedged. “It’s always there. I can’t shut it off.”

 

“Do you want to?” Sam asked hesitantly, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

 

Jack shook his head. “It’s not—it’s not something I want.”

 

“Okay.” Sam wasn’t about to argue with him, not when the problem—the connection—was still so new. “How much of Atlantis can you sense?”

 

“A lot of it,” Jack said, and once that they reached their quarters, he threw himself down on the bed. “I’m sorry.”

 

She sat down on the edge of the bed. “Sorry for what?”

 

“I’m not sure,” Jack admitted. His eyes were closed. “Daniel’s okay, just so you know.”

 

“Sheppard?” Sam inquired, testing the boundaries a bit.

 

Jack’s lips quirked up into a smile. “Even better. I think he’s Atlantis’ favorite.”

 

Sam wasn’t sure whether to be amused or disturbed.

 

“Come here,” Jack invited, lifting an arm in invitation.

 

Sam couldn’t help but accept, still so grateful to have Jack here that she couldn’t resist touching him, being close to him.

 

“Think I might take a nap,” Jack murmured.

 

“You do that,” Sam said fondly. “I’ll be right here.”

 

~~~~~

 

After Atlantis came online completely, Daniel threw himself into research, needing to know everything he could about what had happened. He needed to know whether this was a new development, or whether Atlantis had always been connected to gene carriers.

 

“Come to bed,” Vala said as Daniel sat hunched over his laptop. “You’ve been working all day.” Daniel wanted to ask for another fifteen minutes, but Vala cut him off, anticipating his request. “It’s late, and you’ve already asked for another fifteen minutes three times.”

 

He shut his laptop, knowing when not to push any further.

 

Vala welcomed him with open arms, curling up around him.  Apparently, it was going to be a night to cuddle—which didn’t bother him. He was always cognizant of the need to let Vala set the pace, and he was tired, and his head was still spinning with information.

 

She pressed her lips to his neck, just above the collar of his t-shirt. “I can hear you thinking,” she teased.

 

“I’m just trying to figure out whether this is normal,” Daniel replied. “I can still feel the city, you know.”

 

“What does it feel like?” Vala asked.

 

Daniel shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s hard to describe.”

 

“Does it hurt?”

 

“No, it just feels weird,” Daniel said. “Do you have a mission tomorrow?”

 

“Yes,” Vala said after a moment.

 

“With Sheppard?”

 

“Now that Elizabeth is back, yes.”

 

“You worried?” Daniel asked.

 

“It will be the first time John is away from Atlantis,” Vala hedged. “But we’ll look after him.”

 

“I know you will,” Daniel said fondly. “You always do.”

 

They fell asleep curled around each other, and Daniel roused slightly when Vala rolled out of bed.

 

“Okay?”

 

“Briefing, then a mission,” Vala murmured, brushing her lips across Daniel’s. “I’ll see you when I get back, okay?”

 

“Be safe,” Daniel replied. “Come back to me.”

 

“Always,” Vala responded. “Go back to sleep.”

 

Daniel dozed on and off for another hour, and then dragged himself out of bed to shower and grab breakfast. He found Corrigan in their shared office, already working. “Good morning, Dr. Jackson. I’ve been working on the translation of the entries on Wraith biology.”

 

Daniel would have preferred to _not_ think about the decimation of an entire species today, but he was well aware that they had to think of the future. The Wraith were growing bolder in their attacks, and talk among senior staff had centered around the fact that they might not have much time until the Wraith discovered that Atlantis still existed.

 

“Great,” he said. “How’s it coming?”

 

Corrigan shrugged, his blue eyes bright against his deeply tanned skin. “Not sure. Their physiology is quite a bit different, according to these notes, as different as we are from the Goa’uld, and this information can only help us to create a poison that effects them and not us.”

 

It was not a pleasant thought, but Daniel pushed that aside. They’d cross that bridge when they came to it.

 

“Keep at it,” Daniel said. “Dr. Beckett and the chem department will have to figure out how to make it work.”

 

Daniel knew they couldn’t insulate themselves from responsibility, but this decision was something they’d all have to agree on. With luck, it would never come to that, but Daniel wasn’t sure he believed in luck these days.

 

He’d wanted to come to Atlantis for years, and it was just as amazing as he’d hoped it would be. Daniel could spend days sorting through the index and not come up for air, as he was sure Vala had noticed. There were even days when Daniel could forget how and why they’d left earth, although not always.

 

Forgetting had been easier once Jack was on the city, but it was harder now that Cam was gone. Daniel found his thoughts turning more and more toward Earth.

 

When dinnertime rolled around and Vala still hadn’t shown up, Daniel started to get worried. He wandered out of his office and radioed Jack. “Have you heard anything about Vala?”

 

“No, but they still have an hour before we need to get worried,” Jack replied. “Come have dinner with me.”

 

“You sure?” Daniel asked.

 

“I wouldn’t lie to you, not about this,” Jack assured him. “Sam and I are going to eat, and you should join us.”

 

Jack had that tone of voice that generally made Daniel argue with him just for the general principle of the thing, but he didn’t want to be alone with his thoughts right now.

 

There were times when Daniel regretted not taking more missions, and instead doing pure research. He knew Sheppard and the others had talked about forming another team from the remnants of SG-1, but Daniel and Sam had their hands full on the city, Cam was gone, Jack wasn’t going back to fieldwork, and Vala seemed content to float between teams, although she stuck with Sheppard most of the time.

 

But times like these, Daniel wished he were with Vala, because at least then he’d know what was happening to her.

 

He found Jack and Sam in the mess, already eating, and he grabbed a tray and sat down across from them. “Any word?”

 

“Vala’s with Sheppard,” Sam reminded him. “And it seems that any time they run into trouble, it’s Sheppard that winds up in the infirmary.”

 

“Oddly enough, that doesn’t make me feel better,” Daniel grumbled.

 

“In another hour or two, we’ll send in a second team,” Jack promised. “We’re not going to lose any of them, Danny.”

 

Daniel knew he meant it, but he also knew that was a promise Jack couldn’t be certain of keeping. They’d just lost two Marines when they’d responded to the Wraith attack on Gorel’s world.

 

Cassie joined them halfway through dinner, still wearing a set of scrubs. “Hey, guys, where’s Vala?”

 

“On a mission,” Daniel replied sourly. “And they’re not back yet.”

 

“She’s with Colonel Sheppard, isn’t she?” Cassie asked, plopping into the seat next to Daniel. “She’ll be fine.”

 

“How are you feeling?” Daniel asked her. “I heard you took a tumble when Atlantis came online.”

 

Cassie shrugged. “I was with Gesi. She looked after me.”

 

“What were you two doing?” Daniel asked.

 

Cassie smiled. “I’m teaching her how to read, and she’s teaching me how to sew. I thought it might be a good skill to have.”

 

“I hear you’re going to the mainland in a few weeks,” Sam said.

 

Cassie beamed. “As soon as Gesi’s cleared for a visit, I’m going with her. Colonel Sheppard gave the okay just the other day.”

 

“From what I’ve seen, the Athosians are lovely people,” Daniel said, a bit wistfully.

 

“You could go, too,” Jack suggested. “You’d have to leave the city and your translations for that, though.”

 

“If Vala agreed to go, I think I could live without it for a while,” Daniel replied dryly. “Of course, that would require her to be here.”

 

Jack checked his watch. “They’ve got another thirty minutes before we send out the cavalry.”

 

“But they’re late,” Daniel protested.

 

“And there are procedures for that for a reason,” Jack said reasonably. “If we sent a team every time someone was fifteen minutes late, no one would get anything done around here, same as at the SGC.”

 

Daniel pulled his glasses off and rubbed his tired eyes, deciding not to argue with him. He knew the rationale, but when Vala was the one at risk, logic went out the window.

 

Jack perked up, his hand going up to his radio. “Elizabeth just said that they’re back. They got trapped by a flash flood, and they’re wet and battered, but they’ll live.”

 

“Excuse me,” Daniel said, standing up.

 

“I’ll take care of your tray,” Sam promised.

 

Daniel waved his thanks and headed for the infirmary, looking for Vala as soon as he arrived. She was sitting on one of the beds, a graze on her right cheek, the skin underneath already darkening in what looked to be a fairly impressive bruise.

 

McKay and Sheppard were sitting next to each other on another cot, both of them in damp clothes, looking rather bedraggled. Sheppard was shivering, although Daniel could see him clenching his jaw, probably to keep his teeth from chattering. McKay was ranting about flash floods and drowning, and Daniel could read lingering fear in his expression.

 

Ronon and Teyla were also wet, and Lam was wrapping Ronon’s wrist with a bandage, but otherwise they appeared unharmed.

 

When Vala caught sight of him, she grinned. “Daniel.”

 

“Hey, you okay?” he asked, cupping her jaw with one hand.

 

She hitched a shoulder. “I’m fine.”

 

He brushed a thumb below the graze on her cheek. “Really?”

 

“That’s the worst of it,” Vala insisted. “It wasn’t as bad as it could have been.”

 

“What happened?” he asked.

 

“It was early spring, and the gate is in a valley,” Vala replied. “We got caught briefly in a flash flood, and had to find higher ground, and then we had to wait for the water to recede enough to dial out again. It really wasn’t a big deal.”

 

Daniel tried to remember what the mission objective had been and couldn’t. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

 

Vala shook her head. “The Wraith had been there. Our best guess is that the population gave up on the gate and moved as far away as they could.”

 

Daniel frowned. “Does that actually work?”

 

“For smaller populations, yes,” Teyla said, clearly having overheard their conversation. “But most do not want to be so far from the gate, as it’s often the only means of trade and alliance building.”

 

Daniel thought that might be the same for planets within the sphere of Goa’uld influence. Small groups of people could stay under the radar, but they would be even more in need of allies and trading partners. And, if the population grew, they risked coming to the attention of the Goa’uld, and presenting a tempting target. He suspected the Wraith operated in much the same way.

 

“We can cross that planet off our list,” Sheppard said, forcing the words out through clenched teeth. “At least so far as potential trade partners go.”

 

“Go ahead and get out of here,” Lam said to Vala. “Get something to eat, and take a hot shower to warm up.”

 

“I’ll grab your dinner,” Daniel offered as they left the infirmary. “You go get cleaned up.”

 

Vala’s thanks was heartfelt. “My uniform is chafing, and I’m fairly sure I have sand in places where sand really shouldn’t be.”

 

It was late enough that the mess was empty, and the kitchen was closed, but there was a fridge that had sandwiches for those teams that came in late, or those who hadn’t been able to make it to the mess for whatever reason. The system worked out well, and had been Corporal Dawson’s idea, from what Daniel understood.

 

Vala was just getting out of the shower when he entered the room. “Oh, thank God. I’m starving.”

 

Daniel could see a bruise on her right shoulder, livid against her pale skin. “Did you get your shoulder looked at?”

 

“It’s a bruise,” Vala said with some asperity, pulling on a skirt of Athosian make—Daniel assumed she got it from Teyla—and one of Daniel’s t-shirts. The combination shouldn’t have worked, but it did. “I’ve had worse, and I’m sure I _will_ have worse. Now that I’m warm, and I have food, I’ll be fine.”

 

Daniel knew better than to argue further. Vala would accept coddling only on her own terms, and she clearly wasn’t interested tonight.

 

He watched as she devoured the food. “I haven’t had anything to eat since this morning,” she admitted, once she was most of the way through her sandwich. “Our supplies got ruined by the flood. McKay had a power bar or two, but there wasn’t enough for everybody, and he’s hypoglycemic.”

 

“I’m glad you got out of there when you did, then,” Daniel replied.

 

Vala shrugged philosophically. “At least no one was seriously injured, and none of us drowned.”

 

Daniel frowned, hating to think of that possibility, and he very nearly suggested that she not go on missions without him before he thought better of it. Instead, he said, “Jack suggested we spend some time with the Athosians. Would you be interested?”

 

Vala brightened. “You’d be willing to go?”

 

“I think I can manage to spend a week or two away from the city,” Daniel said. “Just as long as you were there, too.”

 

“I wouldn’t go without you,” Vala said loyally. “I just didn’t think you’d want to leave Atlantis.”

 

Daniel smiled. “I’ll go wherever you want me to go. And maybe it’s time for me to start going on missions again.”

 

“Is this about today?” Vala asked suspiciously.

 

“A little,” Daniel admitted. “But only because I don’t like being without you, and I think it might be time for me to broaden my horizons.”

 

Vala smiled broadly. “Good. I’m all for broad horizons.”

 

~~~~~

 

“You still okay with stopping by my parents’ place first?” Cam asked as they approached Earth.

 

“It makes sense,” Jon replied easily, his hands steady on the controls. “With everybody else in densely populated areas, we need to get the lay of the land before we attempt making contact. Your parents are the obvious choice.”

 

Cam checked the readouts. “Looks like whoever’s in charge beefed up security.”

 

“We knew that would probably happen,” Jon said. “I’ll get us through.”

 

Cam wished he’d been the one flying, but the _tel’tak_ required two hands for difficult maneuvers, and it just wasn’t worth the risk. Instead, he braced himself with his good hand and watched as Jon skillfully avoided the early detection satellites that were clearly of Goa’uld make.

 

He felt a little guilty for making his parents’ house their first stop, but Dawson’s family lived near Los Angeles, Miko Kusanagi’s was in Tokyo, and McKay’s was in Vancouver. In contrast, Cam’s parents lived far enough away from the neighbors to be fairly isolated, and he knew they’d have an idea of what was going on.

 

And when they moved—when they started picking people up—they would have to move fast, grabbing everyone they could in just a few hours’ time. They would also need supplies, both for the trip back, and to replenish Atlantis’ stores, if at all possible.

 

Plus, Cam wanted to see his parents, and he knew they’d give him a warm welcome.

 

Jon managed to get them through the outer defenses, although Cam had no idea if they’d raised an alarm. For safety’s sake, Jon took the ship down below radar level over northern Canada before heading south to Kansas.

 

To be on the safe side, they parked the cloaked _tel’tak_ about a mile away in an empty field, and disembarked only after the sun had gone down, making their way to the house under the cover of darkness. Cam had borrowed a pair of jeans from Sheppard, but he didn’t have a coat, so he had to make do with a t-shirt, in spite of the cold weather.

 

Jon had offered a jacket, but it had been far too small across Cam’s shoulders. He knew his parents had kept a bunch of his stuff in boxes; he was hoping he’d find something to wear.

 

They approached the backdoor, and Cam waved Jon back, signaling him to stand aside before he knocked. If things had gone south, if something bad had happened, only one of them would be caught.

 

That was their motto—no splitting up, but take every precaution to make sure one of them escaped.

 

Cam scratched at his beard self-consciously when there was no answer, and then he knocked again. “Mom?”

 

It was a risk, especially if someone other than his mother answered, but Cam figured it was worth it. He could always play it off as a drunk guy getting the wrong house.

 

Actually, he had a couple of scenarios in mind, and he’d choose the most appropriate one on the fly.

 

The door opened a crack, and Cam could see a sliver of his dad’s face. “Dad?”

 

“Oh, God,” his dad said reverently. “Cam. Get your ass in here, son.”

 

“I have a friend with me,” Cam said.

 

“Any friend of yours is a friend of ours,” his dad replied, but caution had entered his voice.

 

Cam motioned to Jon, and they both slipped past, not opening the door any wider than they had to.

 

His dad closed and locked the door as soon as they were inside. “Sorry about that, but we have to be cautious these days.”

 

“Dad, this is Jonathan Owens. Jon, this is my dad, Frank.”

 

“Pleasure to meet you, sir,” Jon said easily.

 

His dad gave Jon a sharp look. “Military? You look a little young for that.”

 

“It’s a long story,” Jon replied.

 

“Is Mom okay?” Cam asked, changing the subject. “How’s Ash?”

 

His dad waved them to seats in the kitchen without answering the questions. “I’ll go get your mom.”

 

“Okay, is this weird?” Jon asked in an undertone when his dad left the room.

 

Cam shook his head. “It’s something. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s not good.”

 

“Where does your brother live?” Jon asked, his expression calculating.

 

Cam frowned, knowing immediately where he was going with that line of inquiry. “We don’t have room.”

 

“I’m just saying that if we have to really pack them in, we can,” Jon argued. “And if we can’t get everybody, maybe we should take your list.”

 

“That seems a little—selfish,” Cam objected in a low voice.

 

Jon shrugged. “We take the risks, we reap the rewards. And if things are bad, we’ll take more people to Atlantis and worry about retaking Earth later.”

 

Cam wasn’t sure that logic worked, but Jon had a point. There had been no runners up in the lottery, but if things on Earth were untenable, they probably needed to get everybody out of there that they could.

 

Just a few moments later, Cam’s mom came bustling into the room, grabbing Cam up into a hug. “Oh, Cameron,” she said as she held on tightly, clearly close to tears.

 

“Oh, hey, Mom,” Cam protested. “I’m okay.” He held her tight with his one good arm, patting her on the back.

 

She pulled back to give him a searching look. “No, you’re not. You’ve been through hell, and you don’t want to admit it. Sit down. Are you boys hungry? I have leftover meatloaf.”

 

Cam’s mouth started watering. “If you’ve got enough.”

 

“Hush,” she said. “The day I don’t have enough to feed my boys is the day I’m dead and in the ground. Now, Cam, who’s your friend?”

 

“This is Jon, Mom,” he said. “He’s a buddy from the Air Force.”

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jon,” his mom said. “Any friend of Cameron’s is a friend of ours.”

 

His mom was just the same, although his dad was standoffish. “Where have you boys been?” he asked, perhaps giving some reason for the aloofness.

 

“Another galaxy,” Cam explained. “I’ll tell you everything, Dad. I promise.”

 

His dad shook his head, his expression betraying his disbelief. “Another galaxy?”

 

His parents didn’t know anything about the Stargate program, but Cam knew he couldn’t hold anything back now. He began to explain, slowly, wishing he had a way to prove it other than taking them to where the _tel’tak_ was parked, which was too much of a risk right now.

 

He explained where they’d been, and what they planned to do in between bites of leftover meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans, washing it down with cups of coffee.

 

“That’s certainly quite a story,” his dad said slowly. “You’ve never been one for tall tales, though.”

 

“I brought something for proof,” Cam replied. He pulled out the Ancient device he’d brought along for just that purpose. It wouldn’t do much other than light up and project an image of Atlantis, but he was hoping that it would do the trick, along with his own ability to convince people of what he was saying.

 

“Well, I’ll be damned,” his dad said with a low whistle as the hologram of Atlantis slowly rotated, looking out of place in his parents’ cozy kitchen. His mom waved a hand through the image, and pulled back quickly when her hand went right through it.

 

Cam watched their reactions carefully, knowing that they’d be facing a similar hurdle when making contact with the other families—but probably higher, since they didn’t know Cam from Adam. “I probably shouldn’t have come here at all,” he admitted, “but I had to make sure you were all right, and I knew you’d have an idea of what’s going on.”

 

His dad relaxed a bit at that. “There were agents who came looking for you a week or two after we lost contact. They seemed to believe us when we said we hadn’t heard from you, but we’ve seen them poking around town.”

 

“What about Ash?” Cam asked. “Is he okay?”

 

His mom nodded. “Ash and Sarah are fine, as are the kids. They’re keeping their heads down, just like we are.”

 

“How bad is it?” Cam asked.

 

His dad took a measured sip of his coffee. “Well, it’s not good. Origin has become the fastest growing religion in the world, but half the governments have declared it a terrorist group and outlawed it. That’s just made its converts dig their heels in, of course.”

 

“Has the US made that move?” Jon asked.

 

“They’re making noises, but folks get restless any time you suggest doing something like that,” his mom replied. “Right now, they’re just calling Origin a cult.”

 

“Well, it’s not a good thing,” Cam said. “I have firsthand experience with it, and they’re dangerous.”

 

His dad shrugged. “I don’t know about that, but they seem pretty insistent, and plenty of folks aren’t interested in their brand of religion.”

 

“Have there been any plagues, or any crackdowns on movement?” Cam asked.

 

His dad hesitated. “There have been some rumors about people disappearing, but no proof. And there’s been reports of a new kind of flu that’s claimed some livs. Obviously, we knew something had happened because we didn’t even get a visit letting us know that you’d gone missing.”

 

“Someone should have at least come to see you,” Cam confirmed. “You should have been told something, even if it wasn’t the truth.”

 

His mom patted him on the arm. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” She glanced at Cam’s useless right hand. “Mostly.”

 

Since Cam had already explained that he wasn’t going to get any better, he didn’t have anything to say to break the awkward silence that fell.

 

“I’m proud of you, son,” his dad said.

 

Cam swallowed hard past the lump in his throat. “Thanks, Dad.”

 

“Now, I think it’s best that nobody see you boys here,” his dad added. “And I’ll bet you need some sleep. You can stay as long as you want.”

 

Cam shook his head. “No, I think it would be better if we weren’t seen here. Maybe we can do some research tomorrow and then leave after the sun has gone down.”

 

“You’re staying longer than that, aren’t you?” Cam’s mom protested. “You just got here!”

 

“Being here puts you guys in danger,” Cam said. “I won’t do that, not any more than I have to.”

 

His mom gave his dad a look that spoke volumes. “You boys are going to need to gather information, and we don’t have a lot of neighbors nearby. Frank will tell them I’m not doing so well, and I want privacy; it’s not too far from the truth.”

 

Cam winced. “Aw, mom. I’m sorry.”

 

“Not your fault,” she said briskly. “But I’m going to feed you boys up for at least a few days.” When Cam opened his mouth to protest, she added, “Who knows when I’m going to see you again?”

 

Cam glanced at his dad, who offered a rueful shrug, and Jon just looked deeply amused. “You heard your mom,” his dad said. “You know better than to argue with her.”

 

“I guess I know when I’m beat,” Cam replied, relieved at the turn of events. He hadn’t wanted to leave so soon, and he was swayed by his parents’ logic. They _could_ use the time to get a better idea of where things stood. “We can keep the _tel’tak_ cloaked. No one will see it.”

 

“I can move it closer to the house if that would be safer,” Jon offered.

 

His dad nodded. “I think it might be. I can at least keep folks away from it then.”

 

“I’ll just go do that,” Jon said.

 

Cam half-rose. “I’ll go with you.”

 

“No, you stay and catch up with your parents,” Jon said. “I’ll be careful.”

 

Cam’s stomach twisted with anxiety as Jon slipped outside, but he didn’t try to follow. His mom hugged him again once Jon had left, holding him tightly. “I’ll sleep well tonight,” she murmured in his ear. “I don’t care what else is going on. It’s just good to know you’re safe.”

 

He wasn’t safe; Cam didn’t think he’d ever be safe again, but he’d missed his parents fiercely, and there was something comforting about sitting in their kitchen, drinking coffee in the bright overhead light that chased out the darkness. Cam just wished it could last.

 

~~~~~

 

Vala checked the rounds in her handgun, and holstered it.

 

“You know, I don’t know if that’s profoundly hot, or disturbing,” Daniel remarked, although his tone suggested that he was turned on.

 

Vala smirked. “You love it.”

 

“I love _you_ ,” Daniel corrected her. “The fact that you’re good with a variety of weapons is just icing on the cake.”

 

Vala beamed at him, and gave him a heartfelt kiss. “That’s a down payment. I have plans for you tonight.”

 

“I look forward to it,” Daniel replied. “Be careful, okay?”

 

“Always,” Vala promised. “I have you to come back to.”

 

Daniel grimaced. “We’re being one of those disgusting couples, aren’t we?”

 

“I feel that it’s a refreshing change for me,” Vala informed him. “This kind of disgusting I can handle. I’ll see you later.”

 

She knew how hard it was for Daniel to let her go after the last near miss, and she appreciated the fact that he hadn’t been _too_ overprotective.

 

Sheppard and his team were waiting for her in the gate room, and they had McKay with them today.

 

“I didn’t think you ever came out of your lab,” Vala teased, always enjoying the opportunity to wind up McKay.

 

McKay drew himself up. “Colonel Carter is fully capable of covering for me, and John needs someone to look after him.”

 

Ronon gave McKay a dirty look. “ _I_ look after him.”

 

“As do I,” Teyla said, her tone offering a mild reproach.

 

“I feel as though I have more of a vested interest in keeping him in one piece,” McKay said defensively.

 

Sheppard’s expression was a mixture of amusement and embarrassment. “ _McKay_.”

 

“What?” McKay asked. “It’s true!”

 

“Chuck, dial it up,” Sheppard ordered, apparently deciding to cut off that line of argument.

 

This mission was supposed to be an easy trade mission with a planet they’d had limited contact with in the past—M25-312. They were friends of friends, and they had responded with cautious optimism and an invitation to visit.

 

When they stepped through the gate, they walked out under a sky that was more lavender than blue, with puffy white clouds, and a bright orange sun. “I am Undit, leader of our village. You are welcome,” the man in front said, tugging at his short jacket.

 

There were two other men standing behind him, and they also smiled and nodded, but there was something in their manner that made Vala uncomfortable. They seemed nervous as they shifted from foot to foot.

 

Vala glanced at Teyla, whose eyes were watchful, although her expression gave nothing away as Sheppard returned the greeting and introduced them.

 

“Come, we will share a meal together,” Undit said expansively. “We shall be allies, Colonel Sheppard.”

 

“I hope that’s the case, Undit,” Sheppard replied, but Vala knew him well enough now to read the tension in his voice.

 

They followed Undit away from the gate, along a well-trodden path through a dense forest, hopefully towards the village, and Vala made sure to stick close to Teyla, noting that Ronon was walking closer to McKay than he normally did.

 

Undit was expounding on the wonders of his world, and what his people could trade—the sky seemed to be the limit—and then said, “The Commander loves our _ural_.”

 

“Commander who?” Sheppard asked, his voice pleasant and easy.

 

Undit stopped cold. “Excuse me?”

 

“Commander who?” Sheppard repeated, a hint of steel in his voice. “Do you have a military?”

 

“But of course,” Undit replied with a nervous laugh. “To deal with the Wraith, we’d have to.”

 

“Sateda was one of the few planets in this galaxy with a standing military,” Ronon rumbled. “And your people weren’t one of the others.”

 

Vala’s finger curled around the trigger of her P-90, and she waited for any sign that they weren’t alone.

 

Undit glanced back at Ronon. “Are you accusing me of lying, Ronon Dex?”

 

“I’m saying I’ve never heard of your military,” Ronon replied.

 

“Ronon,” Sheppard said quietly, but Vala wasn’t sure whether it was a warning to stay quiet, or stay alert.

 

“It’s not Commander Kolya, is it?” McKay demanded, and Vala winced at the impetuous question. “Because we’re not exactly friends.”

 

The expression on Undit’s face would have been answer enough, but the bark near Vala’s head splintered, and Sheppard brought the butt of his gun up, knocking Undit out with one swift blow as Vala and Teyla began firing in the direction the shot had come from.

 

The two men with Undit rushed Sheppard, who fired two quick bursts to drop them.

 

“Back to the gate!” Sheppard shouted. “Go!”

 

The forest around them seemed to come alive with noise—not just gunfire, but the twang of bowstrings and the swish of arrows. Vala led the way, glad they didn’t have far to go, and she dialed the address for Atlantis as soon as she reached the DHD without waiting for the order.

 

“Hurry, hurry, hurry,” McKay chanted behind her, although Vala knew he didn’t mean anything by it. She was thinking the same thing.

 

The gate came to life just as Sheppard emerged from the trees, Ronon at his side. “Go!” Sheppard shouted. “Go! We’re right behind you.”

 

McKay activated his radio. “Atlantis, this is McKay. We’re coming in hot!”

 

Vala waved McKay through first, because she knew he was vital to Atlantis, and then she and Teyla went through together.

 

They stood at the base of the stairs of the gate platform, not quite breathing heavily, but certainly a little breathless. Elizabeth was already questioning McKay, and Vala waited for Ronon and Sheppard to arrive.

 

Ronon ran through, jumping down the stairs and turning to wait for Sheppard.

 

The gate room went silent and still as the seconds ticked by, and then the wormhole closed without any sign of Sheppard.

 

“Chuck! Dial the gate!” Elizabeth ordered sharply.

 

They all waited with bated breath, and Chuck said, “I’m sorry, ma’am. I can’t make a connection.”

 

“Keep trying,” Elizabeth replied. “Until you get through, keep trying.”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” he promised.

 

Elizabeth looked at them. “Does anyone want to explain to me what just happened?”

 

Vala felt a sick sort of dread, and she let the others take the lead, pressing the heels of her hands into his eyes, hating the thought that she might have lost someone else.


	4. Drained

_“After John was captured, we realized the depth of his connection to Atlantis. The city seemed to pine after him, as did Rodney. There was no way to track him, and until Kolya contacted us, we believed him to be lost. We tried to stay optimistic, but all of us were ready to mourn, even more so when we realized what Kolya had planned.”_

 

~Interview with Teyla Emmagan

 

Evan sat down across from Dr. Weir, rubbing his hands on the legs of his pants. “I take it there’s been no word.”

 

“None,” she confirmed. “But Radek and Rodney are working on tracing them.”

 

Evan already knew that avenue was closed. Radek hadn’t been hopeful about tracing Sheppard through the gate addresses; there were just too many possibilities. If Kolya had made several jumps, there would be that many more worlds to check, with thousands of possible combinations.

 

Tracking Sheppard was nearly impossible; they’d just have to hope he found his way home, if he wasn’t already dead.

 

“What are we going to do in the meantime?” Evan asked, pleased at how even his voice was.

 

Weir sighed. “We’re going to keep the city running, and we’re going to keep looking, but we can’t put things on hold here. I need you to take John’s place for now.”

 

“Of course, Dr. Weir,” Evan said readily. “Whatever I can do.”

 

“I’m not giving up on getting John back,” Weir insisted. “Ladon Radim will arrive shortly. He may have more information for us.”

 

Evan nodded. “I’d like to be here when you question him.”

 

“You and General O’Neill will be present,” Weir replied. “But Ladon will be here as our guest, not our prisoner.”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” Evan replied stolidly. “I wouldn’t let Ronon see him, though.”

 

“Ronon and Teyla are gathering information on another planet,” Weir replied, although her expression showed a faint hint of amusement at the comment. “I know better than to have Ronon and Ladon on the city at the same time right now.”

 

O’Neill knocked on the door before poking his head in. “Is it okay if I come in?”

 

Weir nodded. “Of course, General.” The lights flickered overhead, and Weir frowned. “What is going on? That’s the third time today, and I’ve had reports that the transporters are malfunctioning.”

 

Evan glanced at O’Neill in silent inquiry, waiting for him to break the news that all the gene carriers already knew.

 

“The city isn’t happy that Sheppard’s been gone so long,” O’Neill explained. “It’s pining for him.”

 

Weir blinked. “Pining?”

 

“I told you Sheppard was her favorite,” O’Neill said with a shrug. “The city isn’t going to be happy until he’s back.”

 

“I thought you said the city wasn’t sentient,” Weir objected.

 

Evan shook his head. “It’s not. It’s just—aware, and completely alien.”

 

O’Neill smirked. “I know you hate hearing this, but you’d really have to experience it to understand.”

 

“Unscheduled gate activation,” Chuck called. “It’s Ladon Radim’s IDC.”

 

“Let him through, Chuck,” Elizabeth replied.

 

Sergeant Robbins and another Marine escorted Radim into Weir’s office. “We’ll be right outside, Dr. Weir,” Robbins said.

 

“Thank you, Sergeant,” Weir replied. “Ladon, welcome back to Atlantis. Have a seat.”

 

Radim sat in the last open chair. “I wish I had better news for you, Dr. Weir, but I don’t know where Commander Kolya is.”

 

“Do you have any idea where he might be?” O’Neill asked.

 

“None,” Radim replied. “We have been trying to keep an eye on him, but he’s slippery.”

 

“Obviously,” Evan muttered.

 

Weir gave Evan a quick shake of her head, but she didn’t reprimand him otherwise. “Then what are you doing here, Ladon?” she asked. “You warned Colonel Sheppard that Kolya was interested in him, and now he’s disappeared. You’ll forgive us for being suspicious.”

 

“I don’t want anything to happen to Colonel Sheppard either,” Radim said. “Atlantis cannot fall into Kolya’s hands.”

 

“We don’t intend to allow that,” O’Neill replied, his tone steely. “The city is no longer ripe for the picking, Radim. Now, I think you’ve got more information on Kolya than you’re giving us.”

 

Chuck called. “We have an unscheduled off-world activation.”

 

“We’re not expecting anybody else,” O’Neill objected.

 

Evan stood and went out into the control room. McKay was at one console, typing furiously. “No IDC, but we’re getting an analogue video signal,” McKay announced, raising his voice.

 

“Put it through,” Weir ordered, stepping out of her office with O’Neill and Radim at her heels.

 

Kolya’s face appeared on the view screen. Although Evan hadn’t had the dubious pleasure of meeting him in person, he’d seen the footage from the surveillance tapes on Atlantis.  It was a picture that Sheppard had made all of them memorize after Kolya’s attack on the kids. “Dr. Weir? If you’re there, answer me,” Kolya demanded.

 

“Who is that?” O’Neill asked.

 

“Kolya,” McKay spat venemously.

 

“I know you’re there, Dr. Weir,” Kolya said with smug assurance. “It’s no use pretending otherwise.”

 

Weir glanced at O’Neill, who nodded. “Open a channel,” she ordered shortly. When Chuck signaled that they’d made a connection, she said, “Commander.”

 

“It’s so good to hear your voice again,” Kolya said pleasantly. “It’s been a long time.”

 

“I won’t say the same,” Weir replied, her eyes flinty. “What do you want?”

 

Kolya smiled at the camera. “I want a great many things, but to start with, I want Ladon Radim’s head on a platter. I know he’s there with you.”

 

Weir didn’t so much as glance in Radim’s direction. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“I’m well informed, Dr. Weir,” Kolya replied. “Even now, I have my sympathizers among the Genii. Radim is there.”

 

This time, Radim nodded, and stepped forward. “I’m here, Kolya. What do you want?”

 

“I want to assume my rightful place as leader of our people,” Kolya replied.

 

“Why should we listen to you?” Weir asked.

 

Kolya stepped away from the camera, revealing Sheppard sitting in a chair, bound and gagged. McKay made a choked sound, and then pressed his lips together tightly, as though afraid he’d make another sound.

 

“Let me show you how far I’m willing to go,” Kolya replied smoothly. “And what I will do to every single Atlantean I find.”

 

To Evan’s horror, two burly guards dragged a Wraith into view, and a third guard ripped open Sheppard’s shirt. They could only watch as the Wraith slammed its hand against Sheppard’s bare chest.

 

Evan had witnessed Sheppard’s stoicism, but Sheppard gave a cry that sent shivers down Evan’s spine, and then Sheppard’s hair began to gray, and the lines on his face deepening right before their eyes.

 

It was the first time Evan had watched a Wraith feed on someone, and it was a sight he could have lived without.

 

“We’ll give you some time to think about it,” Kolya said genially. “I think Colonel Sheppard has some life left in him yet.”

 

The transmission winked out, and Evan cursed bitterly. Even if they got Sheppard back at this point, he wouldn’t be the same man. There seemed to be no way they’d reach him before Kolya let the Wraith drain his life entirely, and there was every possibility that there wouldn’t be much left of Sheppard even if they found him before he was killed.

 

“Motherfucker,” O’Neill said angrily.

 

McKay was still staring at the screen, as though he could will the video transmission to come back, and Evan remembered how Sheppard had confessed that he’d been in love with McKay for years.

 

Evan didn’t get the appeal, but he knew his duty. “Hey, McKay, let’s get a cup of coffee,” he said. “We’ll figure out how we’re going to find Colonel Sheppard, okay?”

 

Weir gave him an approving look. “We’ll work on the same thing on our end.”

 

“Come on,” Evan said, grabbing McKay’s arm. “We’re going to find him.”

 

He wanted to believe it, and he needed McKay to believe it, too. If they believed, Sheppard still had a chance.

 

He hoped.

 

~~~~~

 

John had woken up in a cell underground, alone and sore, and that was nothing new, but then again, it was.

 

Before, John had known his team would be looking for him, but he’d believed they’d get along just fine without him there. Now, he knew that Rodney would be waiting, and he wouldn’t be happy about John having been captured again.

 

Oddly enough, John no longer thought of himself as expendable, and he wanted to see this thing he was building—with Rodney, with the new colony—through to the end.

 

Besides, John knew that Atlantis would want him back. He just wished that there were a chance the city would be able to help find him.

 

“Hey!” John shouted, knowing it was probably useless but needing to do _something_. “You aren’t going to like what happens if you don’t let me go!”

 

“It’s no use,” a gravelly voice said. “They will not listen to you.”

 

“Worth a shot,” John replied, glancing around for the source of the voice. “How long have you been here?” he asked, deciding that making conversation with his fellow prisoner would probably bear more fruit than shouting at his captors. The other guy might have information that John could use.

 

“Many years,” came the reply.

 

Well, that wasn’t hopeful. “I’ve got people coming for me,” John insisted. “They’ll find us. You should see McKay. He’s a genius.”

 

“There is no rescue,” the voice replied heavily. “There is nowhere for you to go.”

 

“Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try,” John replied, realizing the voice was coming from the cell next door. He checked the bars, looking for any sign of weakness.

 

“There is no escape,” the voice replied. “But I wish you luck.”

 

John wanted to keep the conversation going, so he asked, “What did you do to get here?”

 

“I was captured alive.”

 

“Join the club,” John muttered, and then the door to the cell swung open, and John had just enough time to jump out of the way.

 

The goons that entered were well armed, and wearing Genii uniforms. One of them pointed his gun at John. “Move.”

 

“Where are we moving?” John asked, unable to resist the urge to make things as difficult for the Genii as possible.

 

The goon cocked his rifle. “Now.”

 

John weighed his options for a moment, and the goon fired, the blast from his energy weapon making a serious indentation in the wall, sending shards of stone flying. John felt the sting in his cheek from the cut. “Ow!”

 

“Move,” the goon insisted.

 

“Yeah, sure, I’m moving,” John agreed. He had no idea what they wanted; he had no memories between running for the gate and waking up in the cell.

 

John had no illusions that this wasn’t going to be painful. With Kolya obviously behind this whole setup, John figured things were going to get a lot worse before they got better.

 

Still, even though escape was probably nearly impossible—since John had no idea where he was in relation to the exit or the gate—he had to try. He waited until they were out of the cell before he struck one of the goons in the face with his elbow and then kicked another in the stomach. For a second, he thought he might succeed in his attempt, but just for a second, because then someone struck him on the back of the head, and he blacked out. When he woke up, he was tied to a chair, with a gag over his mouth.

 

Kolya strode into the room, looking smug. “In a moment, one of my men will dial Atlantis,” he said conversationally. “They will see the lengths to which I am willing to go to take leadership of my people. And _you_ will serve as an example to them.”

 

John tried to speak around the gag, but it was tied too tightly for him to make anything more than garbled sounds.

 

Kolya smiles. “I think I like you better this way, Sheppard. Your smart mouth would just get you into trouble.”

 

John struggled against the ropes that bound him as Kolya began the radio transmission, but there was no give, and the gag cut into the corners of his mouth.

 

And when he heard Elizabeth’s voice, John felt a growing despair. When they dragged the Wraith into the room, he gave into the rising panic, thrashing around as much as he could, trying to somehow break free.

 

But two Genii soldiers held him fast and a third ripped his shirt open, and there was nothing he could do, nothing he could say, even though he knew that Rodney was probably on the other end of the transmission.

 

John had so much he wanted to say to Rodney if he wasn’t going to survive this.

 

But even if he could have done anything other than scream around the gag, John didn’t think he could have managed it once the Wraith began feeding. For that moment, there was nothing but the pain, running up and down every nerve ending, bright and sharp and never ending.

 

And then John felt the Wraith’s hand being jerked away, and he went limp with relief, although he still hurt all over.

 

“We’ve found that three hours between feedings is optimal for ensuring survival,” Kolya said, his voice breaking through John’s haze of pain. “Tune in then, Dr. Weir.”

 

Then, the goons untied John and took him back to his cell. He was too weak to walk, so he just let them drag him along between them. He tried to think through the pain and pay attention to the twists and turns, but he couldn’t focus on anything but the fact that Kolya had kept a Wraith, and had set him on John. Maybe Kolya had captured a Wraith just so he could have it feed on John. That was a whole new kind of low.

 

They dropped him in the cell, and John slumped down on the floor, letting the cool stone soothe his headache and his aching muscles. He had three hours to escape, but he already knew it wasn’t going to happen. Three hours was going to be just enough time to recover—maybe.

 

His joints ached, and he felt an incredible lassitude. He didn’t think he’d move any time soon.

 

“They called you Sheppard,” came the disembodied voice.

 

“Yeah, that’s my name,” he muttered. “Pleased to meet you.”

 

“You’re in pain.”

 

“Well, I just got fed on by a Wraith,” John replied. “What do you expect?”

 

“You’re still alive,” the other guy replied in his strangely resonant voice, as though trying to offer some comfort.

 

“But who knows how many years it took off my life?” John asked wearily. “And in another three hours, it will take another decade or two until there’s nothing left of me.”

 

That wasn’t enough time for his team to find him; unless John could find a way to escape, he wasn’t getting out of here alive.

 

There was a pause, and the voice asked, “Do you blame the Wraith or its masters?”

 

“Gonna go with both right now,” John replied. He stopped, his sluggish brain kicking into gear, finally putting two and two together. “Wait a second,” he began suspiciously.

 

“Wraith must feed,” the voice intoned. “Would you blame me for taking more than just one drop, after I have been thirsting for so long?”

 

John’s suspicions were confirmed as he clambered to his feet and stared through the barred window dividing the cells. The thin leather-clad figure with disheveled long hair stepped into his line of sight, and was exactly what he’d dreaded he’d find.

 

“It’s you,” John hissed.

 

“We are both being held against our will,” the Wraith said reasonably. “Neither of us will escape alive.”

 

John growled. “Fuck you. I’m getting out of here.”

 

He had someone waiting for him; John had no intention of dying.

 

~~~~~

 

Teyla stepped through the gate after Ronon, with Vala on her heels, finding the gate room in chaos. Ladon Radim was in the middle of things, looking tense and unhappy, but Rodney was pacing, and Elizabeth and O’Neill both looked quietly furious.

 

“What happened?” Ronon growled, reading the room as easily as Teyla had.

 

“Kolya called,” Rodney said, turning to Teyla, his mouth twisting in an unhappy line. “He has John. _He fed John to a Wraith_.”

 

Rodney’s voice broke on the last syllable, and Teyla closed the distance between them, pulling Rodney’s head down so his forehead touched hers. Rodney took a deep, shuddering breath at the contact. “Sorry. Sorry,” he muttered. “It just figures. I finally get a really hot boyfriend, and he gets captured, and—”

 

“Shh,” Teyla soothed. “It’s John. He will find a way out.”

 

“What are we going to do?” Vala demanded. “Where is he?”

 

“We don’t know,” Elizabeth said unhappily. “There’s no way to track the signal.”

 

Radim cleared his throat. “Let me go back, make some inquiries. There are people we’ve been watching that we believe might be connected to Kolya. Let me question them.”

 

“Why should we believe you?” Ronon growled, crowding Radim.

 

Radim held his ground, but Teyla could see his throat work as he swallowed hard. “You don’t have to believe me, but I’m not sure you have another choice.”

 

“We don’t,” Elizabeth acknowledged after a moment. “Time is of the essence, Ladon.”

 

Radim nodded. “I will be as quick as I can be, Elizabeth.”

 

O’Neill appeared profoundly displeased, but he didn’t argue when Elizabeth signaled to Chuck to dial the Genii home world. No one argued, although no one seemed satisfied with the decision.

 

Once the gate had closed behind Radim, O’Neill demanded, “Why the hell did you let him go?”

 

“Because keeping him here is a distraction,” Elizabeth snapped. “And we’re not going to hand him over to Kolya.”

 

“I don’t see why not,” Rodney replied, although Teyla could tell that he wasn’t entirely serious. Not entirely. “That’s what Kolya wants, right?”

 

“He’s not going to let Sheppard go,” O’Neill replied. “Even if we gave him Radim’s head on a platter, he wouldn’t let him go. You know that, McKay.”

 

Rodney nodded, looking stricken. “I know.”

 

“Come, Rodney,” Teyla insisted. “You can tell us what happened.”

 

Teyla pulled him into the conference room, grateful when Elizabeth, O’Neill, and Evan followed her. Zelenka showed up while Rodney was slowly describing what they’d seen on the camera, and he took the seat next to Evan, briefly resting a hand on Evan’s shoulder.

 

“I don’t know how many years it took off John’s life,” Rodney said, sounding helpless.

 

“We can’t know,” Elizabeth replied. “We won’t know until we find him, but we’re going to find him, and we’re going to make this right.”

 

“Like we made Ruiz and Carlisle right?” Rodney demanded. “They _died_ , Elizabeth! There’s no way we’re going to find John before three hours are up. We only have two hours left now.”

 

“I’m still working on a way to trace them,” Zelenka inserted, but Teyla could tell that he didn’t have much hope.

 

The lights flickered overhead, and Elizabeth asked, “Is there a way to get Atlantis to help?”

 

Rodney shook his head. “There’s no caller ID on the DHD. We can’t reverse dial.”

 

O’Neill stiffened. “Actually, that might not be entirely true.”

 

“What?” Elizabeth asked.

 

“He’s right,” Evan said, frowning in that distracted way that the strongest gene carriers exhibited when communing with the city. “Atlantis keeps a record of incoming gate traffic, and Kolya had to dial in to call us.”

 

“Where?” Rodney demanded. “Why didn’t I know about this before?”

 

O’Neill shrugged. “Because I think Atlantis dumped the data into a file somewhere, and we still have to find it. Call Daniel. He’ll be able to locate it.”

 

Daniel appeared shortly, and pressed a hand to Vala’s shoulder, a quick, sympathetic gesture that spoke volumes. “What’s up?”

 

“I think Atlantis has caller ID, but we don’t know where the city hides the files,” Jack explained. “You’re the index wizard.”

 

Daniel frowned. “Okay, I’m happy to look, but I think I may have missed something.”

 

“Kolya called, and he has John, and he let a Wraith feed on him,” Rodney blurted out in a rush. “And we need to know where he was calling from, preferably before Kolya feeds him to the Wraith again.”

 

Daniel winced. “Okay, but while I think Atlantis is keeping a record of calls received now tht we have the new ZPM, I’m not sure how they’re sorted or labeled. I don’t know how easy it is going to be to find the exact planet that phoned in.”

 

“Just try, Danny,” O’Neill said quietly. “Do your best.”

 

“Of course,” Daniel agreed quickly. “Obviously. I Just don’t want everybody to get their hopes up.”

 

“Too late,” Rodney said flatly. “Please, Jackson.”

 

Daniel nodded. “Let me see what I can find.”

 

Teyla understood why Daniel had cautioned them. No one wanted to feel as though they had failed, particularly when the circumstances were beyond their control.

 

Zelenka offered his computer, since Daniel hadn’t brought his own, and Daniel got to work. No one in the room moved, watching Daniel with barely concealed interest, and Daniel finally glanced up. “No offense, guys, but I’m not going to move any faster with you staring at me. In fact, you’re kind of freaking me out.”

 

“Come, Rodney,” Teyla said briskly. “I need some tea, as do you.”

 

“I’ll call you if…”Elizabeth trailed off. “I’ll call if I need you.”

 

Teyla nodded. “Thank you.”

 

She pulled Rodney out of the conference room, toward her quarters, Ronon following. She trusted that O’Neill would look after Elizabeth, and Vala didn’t seem inclined to leave Daniel’s side, which meant that she and Ronon would take care of Rodney.

 

“I should probably be helping,” Rodney protested. “Major Lorne—”

 

“Major Lorne is looking after the city, and Daniel is looking for the planet where Kolya is holding John,” Teyla replied implacably. “You need to drink a cup of tea and relax, because we’re going to find John.”

 

Teyla could see the tension in Rodney’s broad shoulders. “You didn’t see what they did to him,” Rodney said miserably. “Even if we get John back before— _before_ , he won’t be the same.” Rodney looked at her helplessly. “I don’t care if he’s old, Teyla, but I wanted more time.”

 

Ronon moved forward, putting his hands on Rodney’s shoulders and giving him a little shake. “We’ll find him. We’ll make this right.”

 

“You can’t promise that!” Rodney protested.

 

“I can,” Ronon said simply. “We’ll make this right, even if I have to kill Kolya.”

 

“Get in line,” Rodney replied, his chin tilting up. “A Wraith feeding is a chemical process, right? It has to be. Chemical processes can often be reversed. Everybody says it’s impossible, but there haven’t been that many victims left alive to try.”

 

Teyla believed that reversing the feeding process was impossible, but she couldn’t tell Rodney that, and he had produced miracles in the past. If Rodney could figure out how to do it, that would be very impressive.

 

“Then that’s what you’ll do,” Teyla agreed, knowing that it would be better if Rodney had hope, false or not. “But first, we’ll have tea.”

 

~~~~~

 

Elizabeth waited for the clock to run down, pacing her office while O’Neill watched her. “Maybe you should sit down,” he suggested. “You’re making me dizzy.”

 

“I’m okay,” Elizabeth insisted. “You don’t have to stay.”

 

“I’m staying,” O’Neill replied. “In fact—oh, there she is.”

 

Elizabeth turned to see Sam framed in the doorway, a tray of food in her hands. “I come bearing gifts,” Sam said.

 

“I’m really not hungry,” Elizabeth said.

 

O’Neill gave her a sharp look. “Take it from an old soldier, Dr. Weir. You always eat when you have the opportunity.”

 

Elizabeth sat down behind her desk and accepted the food, even though she had no intention of eating. “Thank you.”

 

“I’m glad to be able to do something to help,” Sam admitted. “I hate feeling useless.”

 

“So do I,” Elizabeth said ruefully. “And yet, here we are.”

 

O’Neill spoke through his bite of sandwich. “We’re not being useless; we’re letting other people with the right skillsets work on the problem.”

 

“Is that what you call it?” Elizabeth asked a little sourly. She was a diplomat, not a soldier, but there were times she regretted that fact. This moment was one of those times.

 

What use was a diplomat when the person on the other end was unwilling to even talk? Sheppard was an example for Kolya, a way to make a point, nothing more.

 

Well, Elizabeth was certain that Kolya had selected John at least partially out of revenge—no, _mostly_ out of revenge. There was a reason for the old adage: don’t negotiate with terrorists.

 

“Trust me, I get feeling useless,” O’Neill said in a tone of voice that immediately made Elizabeth feel chastised.

 

Sam shot him a look, and then said, “We all feel useless when we’re waiting on information from someone else.”

 

Elizabeth glanced at the clock again, seeing that there was only about thirty minutes left before Kolya was due to call back.

 

“Eat,” Sam advised. “We don’t know when Daniel will come through with the information, and you might not get another chance for a while.”

 

Elizabeth managed half the sandwich and a piece of fruit, which she counted a success under the circumstances, and listened to O’Neill and Sam talk about everyday matters.

 

There was a part of her that wanted to be angry at how unconcerned they seemed, but she knew they weren’t. They were passing the time the way that soldiers did, setting aside the problem of the moment because there was nothing they could do.

 

Elizabeth wished she could do the same, but all she could think about was John’s face, and his muffled screams.

 

“Are you okay?” Sam asked.

 

Elizabeth sighed. “John is a friend, as is Rodney.”

 

“It was bad,” O’Neill murmured, his dark eyes shadowed. “No question about that. It was meant to be bad, and he knew from the beginning that we wouldn’t give into his demands. That was a show, Elizabeth, just like attacking a planet full of children was a show. And he wants us to know who’s running it.”

 

Elizabeth swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. “I know.”

 

And she _did_ know, that was the thing. From the moment the call had come through, Elizabeth had known that they weren’t getting John back unscathed, that they might not get him back at all.

 

She was going to have nightmares about it, no doubt, but Elizabeth didn’t have any regrets about seeing it. She wanted to bear witness to John’s suffering as best she could.

 

She wanted to be there for Rodney, too.

 

They waited together, Sam and O’Neill keeping up the conversation without her. The gate activated fifteen minutes after the three-hour mark, and Elizabeth nodded at Chuck when he said, “Another video signal.”

 

“Put it through,” she said.

 

She wasn’t terribly surprised when Rodney came skidding into her office just then, Ronon and Teyla at his heels, or when Lorne showed up before Kolya got the first sentence out. “I’m so glad you’re still there, Dr. Weir,” Kolya said.

 

Elizabeth resisted the urge to ask where else Kolya expected her to be. “I’m here,” she said tersely.

 

“And is Ladon Radim still with you?” Kolya asked archly. “Or did you send him home, to avoid the temptation?”

 

Elizabeth didn’t bother to protest that it wasn’t a temptation, because it was. They _needed_ John back, but she knew he wouldn’t want to trade his life for another’s, even if that life was Ladon Radim’s.

 

“We didn’t need him here,” she said neutrally.

 

“Are you really willing to be so careless with Sheppard’s life?” Kolya asked, sounding sincerely curious. “Do you have so little loyalty?”

 

“Colonel Sheppard would not appreciate me trading his life for someone else’s,” Elizabeth replied coolly.

 

Kolya’s smile was all teeth. “He might feel differently after that last feeding.” Kolya stepped away from the camera, revealing John, bound and gagged, more than a little grayer than he’d been before, his face more lined. Elizabeth wondered if Kolya had kept him in the chair the entire time, or if he’d been allowed to move around. “Let’s find out.”

 

He motioned, and one of the guards tugged down the gag. John immediately shouted, “Don’t give this bastard anything, Elizabeth!”

 

The guard yanked the gag back into place, and Kolya said, “I see that answers the question—for now. He may change his mind shortly, however.”

 

The Wraith was brought in, and once again it fed from John, who screamed around the gag. Elizabeth clenched her hands into fists at the brutality of it all, hating the sound, hating that she had to watch this.

 

She hated that Kolya had John, and that it appeared as though he was winning.

 

When the guards pulled the Wraith away, John had aged even more, his hair almost completely gray, his face deeply lined. He sagged in the chair, his chest heaving, and Elizabeth swallowed hard.

 

“You see the depth of my conviction,” Kolya said, sounding satisfied. “How many more feedings do you think the Wraith can get out of him? One? Two? Are you willing to gamble with the time he has left?”

 

“I’m certainly not willing to give you what you want,” Elizabeth snapped.

 

Kolya smiled thinly. “We’ll see how you feel in a few hours. Five hours, to be exact.”

 

It was something of a reprieve—at least, they had two more hours to find John. They _had_ to find him.

 

“Why can’t we give him Radim?” Ronon rumbled after the transmission ended.

 

“Because we don’t negotiate with terrorists,” O’Neill said. “And if we gave in, he’d make a habit out of capturing our people and feeding them to the Wraith any time he wanted something.”

 

“It would also destabilize the balance we’ve been building,” Elizabeth added. “If our allies knew we would give in to threats, we’d lose every trade alliance we’ve built.”

 

Rodney cleared his throat. “I know we can’t give him Radim, Elizabeth, but can’t we give him _something_?”

 

“We don’t need to,” Daniel said breathlessly as he ran into the office. “Because I think I know where Sheppard is.”

 

~~~~~

 

John _hurt_ , a bone-deep ache that made him wish he could lie down and sleep for a year or two. Or three. Of course, if he did that, there was every possibility that he wouldn’t wake up. He had no idea how much time the Wraith had taken off his life at this point, but he didn’t think he had much left in him.

 

Five hours, Kolya had said, and then another feeding. Even if he survived, John knew he’d be too weak to help himself.

 

“Do you yet live, Sheppard?” the Wraith asked.

 

“No thanks to you,” John groaned, closing his eyes and trying to marshal his strength.

 

The Wraith was silent, and then it said, “I did not take nearly enough to satisfy my hunger.”

 

John thought for a minute, hating himself a bit for what he was about to do, but right now he liked the Wraith a lot more than Kolya, feeding notwithstanding.

 

Hell, maybe he did blame the master more than the instrument of his destruction.

 

“You get enough to get out of here?” John asked.

 

There was a long pause, and the Wraith replied, “I believe I could make the effort, as long as I could supplement from our guards.”

 

John felt a momentary pang at that. He hated letting the Wraith feed from anybody—assuming he could prevent it—but turn about was fair play.

 

And these were the people who had attacked Keras and the other kids, who were responsible for so many deaths. And John really wanted to get back home.

 

“Yeah, whatever you have to do,” John replied after a moment. “Just don’t feed on me, okay?”

 

“We have a bargain, Sheppard,” the Wraith agreed.

 

Under other circumstances, John would have tried to get the guards’ attention and tried to get the jump on them that way, but he knew better. Kolya clearly had no intention of allowing him to survive. Chances were good that the guards would ignore him, even if they thought he was dying. He wasn’t going to shed any tears over their deaths, even if it was at the hands of a Wraith.

 

Maybe John should care more about their lives, but he had other priorities right now, survival being the foremost.

 

“Wait until they come back,” John said. “We’ll make our move then.”

 

“And if you die?” the Wraith asked.

 

“Wouldn’t death be better than this?” John asked.

 

The Wraith was quiet, and then it said, “Yes, it would be better.”

 

John heaved himself into a sitting position and leaned against the wall, feeling the cold stone through his shirt. “Do you have a name?”

 

“Not one that you could pronounce,” it replied.

 

John thought about that for a minute. “Can I call you Todd?”

 

“I do not care what you call me,” the Wraith said, and John might have been imagining it, but the Wraith sounded disgruntled. He grinned in response, feeling as though he’d gotten a little of his own back.

 

He thought he might have fallen asleep, because the next thing he heard was the Wraith saying urgently, “Wake up, Sheppard! They’re coming.”

 

“I’m awake,” John replied, feeling groggy, scrubbing his face with his hands, trying to wake up. “You good?”

 

“If I can feed,” the Wraith replied. “You will have to free me quickly.”

 

John could hear footsteps coming down the hall now, and he grunted in response, not wanting to risk saying anything.

 

He stayed limp, feigning unconsciousness, even when the guards dragged him to his feet. They didn’t bother with restraints this time, though, and John let himself hang limp until they were out in the hallway.

 

His reflexes weren’t as good as they had been, but John had the element of surprise on his side, and he brought his elbows up to strike hard at their throats, silencing them. The third guard turned but didn’t cry out, maybe because he wasn’t worried about John being able to fight.

 

John lurched forward, striking out with his fist again, cutting off the warning shout so that it was only a gurgle. Snatching one of their rifles, he used the butt to knock all three unconscious, making them easy targets for the Wraith.

 

He snatched the keys from the belt of one of the downed guards and paused for just a second.

 

What was he doing, freeing a Wraith? But if they didn’t work together, John didn’t think he’d make it out, and there was no time to waste.

 

John resolutely _didn’t_ think about what he was doing—he unlocked the Wraith’s cell door, and then removed the shackles and the sheath around the feeding hand. The Wraith stared at him for a moment, and John braced himself for the inevitable.

 

Instead, the Wraith inclined its head and strode out into the hallway. John followed, but didn’t watch as it drained the life out of the three soldiers.

 

“This way,” the Wraith said.

 

John ignored the desiccated bodies of the guards, other than to grab one of their radios, and followed the Wraith out. He shot another guard that got in his way, and looked away as the Wraith fed off another.

 

The Wraith was looking a lot healthier now, and John tried not to think about what that meant.

 

“We have to move,” John said. “We have to get to the gate. Do you know the way?”

 

The Wraith hesitated. “I do not know.”

 

That wasn’t what John wanted to hear, but they didn’t have another option than to run and hope they were moving in the right direction. “All right. Let’s go.”

 

They fought past three more guards, and the Wraith drained another Genii. Once they were out of the compound, the Wraith ran into the forest, John limping behind him. He’d taken a hard blow to his left leg, and he still ached from being fed on.

 

The Wraith glanced back, and then slowed its steps slightly. “We should hurry.”

 

“I’m hurrying,” John replied grimly.

 

He followed as best he could, wishing he knew if they were heading in the right direction, and knowing there was no way to tell.

 

The radio crackled, and John held it up to his ear. “Bring reinforcements to the gate,” came Kolya’s voice.

 

“Fuck,” John said succinctly. “We’re not going to be able to get through if there are more than a few soldiers guarding it.”

 

“It would be better if we separated,” the Wraith suggested. “I’m at full strength now.”

 

John couldn’t argue. If Kolya’s goons had to follow two trails, there was at least the possibility that one of them would get through, and John was hoping he’d be that one.

 

“All right,” John agreed.

 

“There are many things you do not know about the Wraith, Sheppard,” the Wraith said, meeting John’s eyes, his expression unreadable. “I have learned humans are capable of honor.”

 

John frowned. “Many of us are honorable.”

 

“Then perhaps we will both learn something,” the Wraith replied enigmatically.

 

And then, before John could stop him, the Wraith slammed his hand against John’s chest.

 

John couldn’t describe what it felt like, but it certainly wasn’t like having his life drained from him. It felt like a rush, like every nerve ending was firing at once, like the best orgasm he’d ever had. His legs went weak, and he fell to his knees, and then collapsed onto his side.

 

“We reserve this gift for our brothers, or for our most devoted worshippers,” the Wraith said, leaving John where he lay. “Bear it well.”

 

And John was left there, gasping on the forest floor, with the full knowledge that the Wraith was probably going to take on the guards at the gate alone.

 

He felt energized, and like he couldn’t move, all at the same time.

 

John knew without looking in a mirror that he’d been changed, that he had his life back. He knew that he should get up and get moving before Kolya’s guards found him.

 

He felt dirty in a way he hadn’t known was possible, in a way that a shower wouldn’t cure. In a way, the Wraith was only giving back what he’d already taken, but it still felt _wrong_ , the way allying with a Wraith in any way felt wrong.

 

John wondered when survival took precedence over principle, and he wasn’t sure he would ever have the answer.

 

He gathered his strength and rolled, climbed slowly to his feet, and then limped on in the general direction the Wraith had gone, hoping that he was getting closer to the gate.

 

When he heard weapons fire, he changed direction and headed that way, figuring that they wouldn’t be shooting if they weren’t near the gate.

 

And if nothing else, John might be able to get the drop on one of the Genii, and force them to lead him to the gate.

 

John adjusted his path every time he heard weapons fire, hoping that he was at least heading in the right direction. He thought he heard a P-90, and thought there were too many shots fired for just the Genii to be shooting, and he hoped that meant his team had found him.

 

The Wraith hadn’t seemed to think they’d be found, and John had doubted it himself, but maybe he shouldn’t have. This _was_ McKay. He was capable of just about anything when properly motivated.

 

And John knew how Rodney felt about him; he’d call that motivation.

 

There was a bit of a clearing, and John ran up just as Ronon shot the Wraith. He had no idea if it had gone after anyone, or if it was dead, but they’d made a pact.

 

“Ronon, no!” he shouted. “Don’t!”

 

“John?” Rodney was there, too, staring at John with an incredulous expression. “Is it—you look the same! I think you look younger!”

 

“It was the Wraith,” John explained briefly, glancing around. “He gave back what he took.”

 

Teyla and Vala were also present, clearly on alert, but giving him wide-eyed looks that conveyed their disbelief.

 

John knew he felt stronger, better, but he still wanted to crawl out of his own skin.

 

“John,” Rodney said helplessly, and then closed the distance between them, pulling John into a hard hug.

 

He hesitated only briefly before he returned the embrace, tucking his face against the side of Rodney’s neck. “God.”

 

Rodney’s hand cupped the back of John’s head, and his other hand untucked the back of John’s shirt and found the bare skin of his lower back. “Don’t do that to me again,” Rodney ordered, right into John’s ear.

 

“I’ll try,” John promised, feeling a little better, like his body was becoming his own again.

 

Rodney pressed his lips to John’s temple. “I wouldn’t have cared, you know, but I’m glad to have you back.”

 

“Yeah,” John said, holding Rodney a little tighter. “I’m happy to see you, too.”

 

Rodney held him for another moment. “We can take this up again when we get back to Atlantis.”

 

“Yeah,” John agreed. “Definitely. Thanks.”

 

“Don’t,” Rodney ordered roughly. “Don’t ever thank me for coming for you. You’d do the same for me.”

 

John grinned against Rodney’s neck. “All right. You and me, buddy.”

 

“You and me,” Rodney agreed, pressing his lips against John’s cheek.

 

“What are we going to do about the Wraith?” Ronon asked, looking disgruntled.

 

“Leave him,” John ordered. “He’ll make his way to the gate or he won’t.”

 

He owed the Wraith his life, after all; he wasn’t going to go back on the deal they’d made now, not after what it had done.

 

“Come on, John,” Rodney said. “Let’s go home.”

 

All John wanted was a hot shower and the chance to wash off the stink of Wraith, so he said, “Okay. Let’s go.”


	5. Last Resort

_“Killing off an entire species isn’t something I wanted to do once, let alone twice. Granted, we didn’t use the poison against the Goa’uld as extensively as we could have, but we were prepared to kill as many Goa’uld and Jaffa as we could. But_ this _poison was meant for the Wraith, and we had every intention of giving it to our allies to cement friendships, and to protect them. Our initial intention was always to keep it as a defensive measure, but Sheppard’s experience made us question whether it was the right call. We thought we knew what the Wraith were. We started thinking we might be wrong.”_

 

~Interview with Daniel Jackson

 

Cam woke slowly, the late afternoon sun slanting across the bedroom. They’d taken to sleeping days because it was safer, and they’d been at his parents’ place nearly a week, gathering information and making lists of needed supplies, plus checking on anybody they could either online or with judicious phone calls.

 

In one sense, the results had been heartening—it didn’t look like anyone had deliberately targeted the families of those in the SGC. On the other hand, Cam could feel the building storm, and he knew it was only a matter of time before things went from bad to worse.

 

Even so, they would have to leave soon, but Cam’s mom kept insisting on one more day, and Cam hadn’t had the heart to refuse her.

 

“We’re going to have to leave soon,” Jon said from his spot on the floor.

 

“I know,” Cam replied. “Thanks for staying this long.”

 

“Like it’s been a hardship to get fed and mothered,” Jon said with warm contentment. “Your parents are great.”

 

Cam grimaced. “I know. I wish—”

 

“Yeah, I get it,” Jon said quietly. “When is your brother supposed to be here?”

 

“Tonight,” Cam replied. “And then we can go. I want to talk to him about coming to Atlantis. If not this trip, then later.”

 

“I think you should,” Jon agreed readily. “You should ask your parents, too.”

 

“We can’t take them all,” Cam objected.

 

Jon sat up. “We’ll take the ones we can this time, and then we’ll come back for more. It’ll be like an underground railroad of sorts.”

 

Cam smiled, liking the thought. “I think that will require us to be international men of mystery.”

 

Jon snorted. “Well, I’ve got it down, but I’m not sure you do.”

 

“Oh, ye of little faith,” Cam said. “Japan is going to be difficult. I’m not sure there will be a place to set down the _tel’tak_ , and we’ll stick out like sore thumbs.”

 

Jon cleared his throat. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.”

 

Cam didn’t like where this was going. “About what?”

 

“I have clean ID,” Jon said, his argument clearly rehearsed. “I can pass for a college student. I can blend in after a fashion, and you can’t.”

 

“We agreed not to split up,” Cam said immediately.

 

Jon sighed. “Look, I’ll go, get the lay of the land, see if Miko’s parents are willing to come, and I’ll call you. I’ll either fly back here, or I’ll find a place where you can land the _tel’tak_. In the meantime, I think you should contact Corporal Dawson’s family.”

 

“And if something happens to you?” Cam demanded.

 

“Then you’ll collect the others and go back to Atlantis with them,” Jon said implacably. “I know the risks, and so do you. If I don’t call, you’ll know it isn’t safe.”

 

Cam hated the idea, but he knew Jon was right. Japan was always going to be the most difficult place to infiltrate, and there was no way of talking to Miko’s parents over the phone, not about this.

 

“When will you leave?” Cam asked.

 

“The day after tomorrow,” Jon replied. “I already purchased tickets.”

 

“Sure of yourself, weren’t you?” Cam said sourly.

 

Jon shrugged. “It’s the only way.”

 

Cam sighed. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is.”

 

“Cheer up, buttercup,” Jon said with a reckless grin. “I’ve got a young body, a sharp mind, and decades of experience. I’ll be fine.”

 

Cam swung his legs over the side of the bed. “I know you will.”

 

He had to believe that Jon would be fine, because doubt wouldn’t do them much good.

 

“I’m heading downstairs,” Cam said. “Mom’s probably cooking already.”

 

Sure enough, when Cam got to the kitchen, his mom was whipping up waffles and frying bacon.

 

“I thought I’d do breakfast for dinner,” she said. “Of course, I know it’s breakfast for you.”

 

“Thanks, Mom,” Cam said, kissing her cheek. “Really, this is great.”

 

“You needed to put on some weight,” his mom tutted. “You and Jon both.”

 

Cam grinned, since that was pretty much what she always said. “Jon has to leave the day after tomorrow.”

 

His mom’s mouth tightened. “I see. I suppose that means you’ll be leaving soon, too.”

 

“I need to take a trip to Los Angeles,” Cam said. “And then Vancouver, but I can come back here in between until we leave.”

 

His mom nodded. “Well, that’s good.”

 

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Cam said helplessly.

 

“Don’t you dare apologize, Cameron,” his mother snapped. “You came here, and I’m glad you did. Your father and I raised you to do your duty, and I don’t regret that either.”

 

Cam nodded. “You could come to Atlantis. You and Dad and Ash and the rest.”

 

“Your father and I aren’t going anywhere,” his mother replied with some asperity. “Not until things become much worse, and not until you can get all of us out at once.”

 

Cam had no idea when that was going to happen, since they were doing things by lottery, and he had six people to get out, or no one at all. “Mom…”

 

“All of us, or none of us, Cam,” his mom said, her tone softening. “We’ll be fine. We’re not under threat.”

 

Cam nodded. “I know.”

 

It seemed he was counting on far too many people being okay, and there was nothing he could do to ensure it.

 

Jon entered the room with a big grin. “’Morning, Wendy.”

 

“Good morning, Jon,” she replied. “Sit down and eat something.”

 

“Don’t mind if I do,” Jon replied. “Thanks.”

 

“Where’s Dad?” Cam asked.

 

“He went to have dinner with some friends in town,” she replied. “It’s a weekly thing. He didn’t think it would be a good idea to miss it.”

 

Cam nodded. “Of course. That makes sense.”

 

“He’ll be home in a few hours, and Ash should be here soon, too. He said he was leaving right after work.” His mom smiled. “It will be good to have both my boys here.”

 

Cam smiled, but he felt a pang of guilt, knowing how soon he’d have to leave.

 

Jon and Cam spent the next few hours doing the same thing they’d been doing lately—surfing the internet and looking for any information they could find on the political situation, what people were saying, what was going on in general. The best information seemed to be found on conspiracy websites, but they had to sift through it all carefully.

 

“I don’t know how much of this is paranoia, and how much of this is real,” Cam muttered.

 

“Is it paranoia if they’re really after you?” Jon asked wryly.

 

“Fair point,” Cam agreed. “Still.”

 

Jon grunted his agreement. “Still.”

 

Cam heard the sound of tires outside, and he and Jon both froze as Wendy peeked out the front window. “That’s Ash’s car.”

 

Cam blew out a relieved breath. They’d talked about what they’d do if his parents had unexpected company, but they hadn’t come up with a foolproof plan. Their best bet would be to hide upstairs and stay as still as possible to avoid a creaking floor giving them away.

 

Ash had been expected, though, and knew Cam was here. They didn’t have to hide. “Great.”

 

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the front door, and Ash stepped inside, hugging Wendy with affection. “Hey, Mom.”

 

“Oh, it’s good to see you,” she said.

 

Cam stepped forward. “Ash.”

 

“Bro.” Ash pulled him into a hug, holding on tightly. “It’s good to see you.”

 

“You, too,” Cam replied around the lump in his throat. “Really good.”

 

“How long are you staying?” Ash asked, pulling back, his blue eyes filled with relief and worry.

 

Cam shook his head. “I have to get back soon.”

 

Ash searched his face, and then he nodded, not asking any questions. “Well, I’m glad I got a chance to see you.”

 

“Yeah,” Cam said. “Same here. Come have a beer.”

 

And for a brief time, Cam thought he might be able to forget that this might be the last time his family would be together.

 

~~~~~

 

Jack couldn’t do much to stay in shape these days—he hurt too much—but he could limp around the city, which gave him the added bonus of learning Atlantis backwards and forwards. Plus, it gave him the chance to stop and chat with people, check in and see how they were doing, spot any problems, and get a feel for morale.

 

Today’s rounds took him past the makeshift classroom where they’d started teaching Gorel’s kids the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. When he poked his head in, Barnes was going over the times tables, and Jack grinned as he watched from the doorway. In unison, they said, “Four times one is four. Four times two is eight.”

 

It was rote memorization, but it did the job for now, while they were learning the basics, and it was how Jack had learned it.

 

Barnes grinned when they finished the fours and said, “Great job, guys! Really good job.”

 

From all reports, Barnes had been much steadier over the last month, pouring himself into the kids under his charge. Gesi was in there as well in the back of the room, Cassie sitting next to her. When Jack tipped his head, Cassie smiled at him and slipped out of the room.

 

“Hey,” she said, once she’d slipped out of the room. “What’s up?”

 

“Just making my rounds,” Jack replied. “You want to walk with me?”

 

Cassie shrugged. “Sure. That sounds good.”

 

They begin to stroll arm in arm, and Jack asked, “Are you helping Barnes now?”

 

“Seemed like the thing to do when I have the time,” Cassie replied. “He’s really okay once you get to know him.”

 

“Oh?” Jack asked archly.

 

Cassie rolled her eyes. “Not like that. I’m not interested in a boyfriend right now. He’s just a friend.”

 

Jack refrained from teasing her further. “I hear you’re going to the Athosians soon.”

 

“As soon as Gesi is cleared for travel,” Cassie confirmed. “I think it should be fun.”

 

“Maybe I’ll go one of these days, even if I’m not going to be of much help.”

 

Cassie elbowed him sharply in the side. “You’re not useless. Don’t forget that you have a brain, and decades of experience.”

 

“Is that your way of saying I’m old?” Jack asked, unable to resist giving her a hard time.

 

She shook her head. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. You’re ancient.”

 

Jack hooked an arm around her neck. “I’ll miss you, kiddo.”

 

They’d been close when she had first come to Earth, but had lost touch after she’d become a teenager and had been too cool for her “Uncle Jack.” They’d reconnected after his rescue, and were now closer than ever before.

 

“I’m not gone yet,” she replied, but she was smiling. “But the sentiment is appreciated.”

 

“You still haven’t given up going through the gate, have you?” Jack asked.

 

Cassie grinned. “Never. And I’m going to be late for my weapons lesson. See you later?”

 

When Jack answered in the affirmative, she pressed a kiss to his cheek and ran off, while Jack made his way through the city. He passed Sheppard’s office, and paused by the door. Sheppard was sitting behind a desk—rare enough by itself—his head in his hands.

 

“You okay?”

 

“I’ll be okay when I have Kolya’s head on a platter.” Sheppard didn’t so much as glance up. “Have you got that?”

 

Jack limped inside and took a seat in Lorne’s chair. “You know we haven’t found him yet. We’ve got people on the lookout, though.”

 

“Yeah, that’s what they all say,” Sheppard replied wearily. “They keep telling me to be patient, because we’ll find him.”

 

Jack could tell that honesty wasn’t called for in this situation. “Fine. Then let me say you probably won’t sleep well until he’s found, and we might never find him, which means you might never get a good night’s sleep again.”

 

Sheppard raised his head, wearing an incredulous expression. “That’s your pep talk?”

 

“You seemed to want honesty, rather than a pep talk,” Jack replied easily.

 

Sheppard glared at him, but it was clearly half-hearted. “Can I ask you a question?”

 

“Shoot,” Jack said, leaning back in his chair and stretching out.

 

“Do you have any regrets about the poison that was supposed to kill the Goa’uld?” Sheppard asked. “About making it or using it?”

 

Jack thought for a minute. “It gave me a sleepless night or two, but I don’t have any regrets about it now. In fact, I wished I’d used it a little more freely.”

 

Sheppard scrubs one hand over his face. “Because of what happened on Earth?”

 

“Because we had to balance how many lives we could save with how many lives would be lost, and whether that was acceptable,” Jack said. “It’s not easy math.”

 

“I’m usually good at math,” Sheppard replied with a faint smile. “That’s not the problem.”

 

“This about the Wraith that saved your life?” Jack asked.

 

Sheppard hitched a shoulder uncomfortably. “Maybe, yeah. He wasn’t what I thought, you know? He saved my life.”

 

“He gave you your life back,” Jack corrected him. “And just because there’s one decent Wraith doesn’t mean we shouldn’t kill most of them on principle alone.”

 

Sheppard winced. “Really, sir?”

 

“They want to _eat_ us,” Jack reminded him. “In fact, they _have to_ eat us in order to survive. The Goa’uld could, in theory, stop being total bastards, but the Wraith can’t help themselves. Eventually, they’ll come here, or they’ll attack our allies, and then what will we do?”

 

Sheppard looked away. “I hear you.”

 

“You should go spend some time with the kids,” Jack suggested. “Barnes is doing a good job with them. Or let Teyla kick your ass for a while, remember what the Wraith did to the Athosians. That will focus you.”

 

Sheppard smiled briefly. “Thank you, sir.”

 

“I’m not saying that you shouldn’t lose sleep over it,” Jack said quietly. “You wouldn’t be a decent man if you didn’t, especially after what happened. But if you can’t think about your own skin, think about your team, and the kids on this city, and the kids who are coming.”

 

Sheppard nodded. “Like Cassie?”

 

“And like Barnes, and every other young Marine who would follow you into hell,” Jack replied. “Trust me, you live long enough, and everyone becomes a kid.”

 

“Looks like I just might do that,” Sheppard agreed. “Thank you, sir.”

 

Jack waved off the thanks. “Don’t worry about it.”

 

His job done, he left Sheppard’s office and continued to make his rounds, poking his head into Daniel’s office and finding him deep in conversation with his right-hand-man, Corwin. Jack walked past and headed for Sam’s lab.

 

Sam was working away on a computer, and Jack took the risk of interrupting her. “Hey.”

 

“Hi there,” she replied, her warm smile telling him he was welcome. “How are you?”

 

It was their way of checking in, Sam’s way of checking to see whether it was a good day or a bad one. Jack smiled in return. “Good.”

 

Sam glanced at the clock. “Looks like it’s about lunch time. Are you hungry?”

 

“Sure,” Jack agreed easily.

 

It was still early enough that the cafeteria was mostly empty, and they got their trays and found a table. Jack didn’t often get to eat a meal with Sam alone, and he wished he’d taken advantage of the chance to take her out to eat, or to a movie, more often when they’d been on earth.

 

They’d so rarely had much time together that they hadn’t gone out often; they had ordered takeout, or picked up food on the way back to Sam’s place or his.

 

And now, there was nowhere to go, although they continued to fit their relationship around work, without much chance for a break.

 

“I wish I could take you out,” Jack confessed impulsively.

 

Sam smiled wistfully. “It would be nice.”

 

“I’m sorry we didn’t start this sooner,” Jack said.

 

Sam shook her head. “I’m not. We had our careers, and the team, and I don’t regret that. I _can’t_ regret it.”

 

Jack smiled briefly. “We had some good times, didn’t we?”

 

“We did. We still have some good times left in us, I think,” Sam replied.

 

He didn’t bother arguing with her. Jack was grateful to have any time with her at all, good or bad. His pain was a daily reminder that he nearly hadn’t made it.

 

“What have you got for the rest of the day?” Jack asked.

 

Sam shrugged. “A few things. Now that the ZPM project is basically done, I have a little more free time on my hands.”

 

“What do you say we play hooky?” Jack suggested as the idea struck him. “I’ll see if I can get a jumper, and we’ll go to the mainland, maybe find a beach. I’ll bet Sheppard knows a good one.”

 

Sam’s face lit up. “Yeah, that would be great. Rodney’s on call this week.”

 

Jack felt a little lighter just thinking about it. “Okay. I’ll check around. You see if we can get dinner to go.”

 

He felt good just having a plan, a mission. He’d taken a jumper up a couple of times, so he knew how it worked. Jack called Elizabeth on the radio. “Is there any problem with me taking a jumper, and Sam, and getting off the city for a while?”

 

“No problem at all,” Elizabeth replied. “You deserve a chance to get away, and so does Sam.”

 

“Great. Will you let Sheppard know?” Jack asked.

 

“Of course.” Her voice was warm. “Enjoy yourself.”

 

Jack knew how important these things were—to get away, to retain some sense of a life, to get some R&R. They were a colony now, and unless something drastic changed, Atlantis was home.

 

He was coming around to the idea.

 

~~~~~

 

Sam hadn’t had much opportunity to go up in a jumper, tied as she was to the city most of the time, and not having the gene herself. She’d never thought she’d be sitting in the co-pilot’s seat next to Jack, a picnic basket nestled in the seat behind her, the blue of the ocean stretching out in front of her.

 

Tension she hadn’t known she was carrying seeped out of her, and she watched Jack pilot the jumper, feeling unbridled joy at his grin.

 

Jack so rarely had the opportunity to fly, or leave the city, and she knew he was showing off a little, executing completely unnecessary loops that they didn’t even feel due to the inertial dampeners.

 

“I miss fighter jets sometimes,” Sam admitted.

 

“So do I,” Jack replied. “The jumpers are great, but I’d love to fly an X-302 again.”

 

“You still could,” Sam pointed out. “Your reflexes are as good as they ever were.”

 

Jack shook his head. “I’m getting old, Carter. There are better pilots out there than I am, and that’s as it should be.”

 

“Are you happy here?” Sam asked wistfully.

 

He glanced over at her. “More than I thought possible. You?”

 

“I miss Cam,” Sam admitted. “We got pretty close, you know.”

 

Jack sighed heavily. “I know.”

 

It was old ground, and Sam felt like this conversation didn’t belong here and now; the memory of that fight they’d had right after Jack told her about his plan still left a bitter taste in her mouth.

 

But maybe that wasn’t too surprising. She and Jack had known each other far too long to not have regrets between them. Their relationship had always been fraught with pitfalls and landmines.

 

“So, what did you rustle up for dinner?” Jack asked, apparently sensing her need to change the subject.

 

“I’m not sure,” Sam admitted. “Corporal Dawson was happy to provide us with what she called a substantial romantic picnic.”

 

“I knew I liked her,” Jack said with a grin.

 

Sam rolled her eyes. “You like anyone who’s willing to feed you.”

 

“True,” he admitted readily. “Especially someone willing to feed me on short notice.”

 

She caught sight of the beach Sheppard had told Jack about through the view screen, and she had to admit that it looked just about perfect—a curved bay with a sandy beach, clear blue waters and plenty of trees.

 

Jack let out a low whistle. “Sheppard wasn’t lying.”

 

“It looks wonderful,” Sam admitted, already itching to be out of the jumper, stretched out on the sand, and soaking in the sun.

 

Jack landed gently and opened the hatch. “Here’s to playing hooky,” he said with a grin.

 

Sam smiled. “Absolutely.”

 

~~~~~

 

Daniel finished the last of the translations on Wraith biology. He hadn’t been able to find any other information in the index, and he thought he would have by now.

 

Before he could think better of it, Daniel sent his final report to everyone who wanted to see it, and who was in on the decision making process. Not that there was a decision to make—he was pretty sure that everyone agreed.

 

They’d make the poison, and then they’d use it if it came to that.

 

In the meantime, Daniel had a few other translation projects, but he could deal with that in his spare time. Right now, he needed to make a request, and he thought his report would smooth the way.

 

Daniel called Sheppard on the radio, but Lorne was the one to respond. “Sheppard is training with Teyla,” he said. “What can I do for you, Dr. Jackson?”

 

“I’m ready to go back in the field,” Daniel replied. “I want back on a team.”

 

“You’re the best linguist we have,” Lorne objected. “You’re better off on the city.”

 

Daniel sighed. “I was on a gate team before, Major.”

 

“On Earth, where there were other linguists that could take your place,” Lorne replied patiently. “Look, you can talk to the colonel if you want, and if you insist, we’ll probably put you in the field. But I’m advising you to think about whether it’s the best use of your time and talents.”

 

Daniel had a sinking feeling. If he’d done what Vala had done and asked to go out in the field immediately, no one would have thought twice about it. Daniel had been a member of SG-1; they wouldn’t have refused him. Instead, he’d gone and made himself indispensible as a translator, the one who knew Ancient and the index better than just about anybody else.

 

Jack always liked to say that you paid a price for being competent.

 

“I’ll think about it,” Daniel promised. He went to find Sam, because she’d made herself similarly indispensible, and she wasn’t on a gate team. He didn’t know if she wanted to be, but Sam was his oldest friend he had, other than Jack, and he didn’t want to bother Jack with this.

 

Jack _couldn’t_ go out in the field, and Daniel knew he missed it. Daniel refused to hurt Jack at all if he could help it.

 

Sam wasn’t on the city, though, and when he asked McKay about it, he said Sam was off with Jack. “Good for them,” Daniel thought, but that didn’t solve his immediate problem.

 

Teal’c might have understood, but he wasn’t there. Daniel wasn’t sure he could talk to Vala because she was a large part of the reason he wanted to go out in the field, because he wanted to be with her and have a hand in making sure she stayed safe.

 

That left exactly no one.

 

If he’d been on earth, this wouldn’t have been a problem. He’d have still had his team.

 

Atlantis was home now, and most of the time, Daniel didn’t mind. He liked the city, he liked the people, and most of the people he cared about were here. He had been all over Earth, and had been to a lot of planets, and he’d called more than one home. Atlantis was just one more stop.

 

Maybe it was the last stop; Daniel had no idea.

 

He should probably just wait until Sam got back and find a chance to talk to her. In the meantime, he went back to his translations until Sheppard called him over the radio. “Dr. Jackson? Any reason you want off the city?”

 

“Can I talk to you in person?” Daniel responded.

 

“Come on down,” Sheppard replied. “I’m in my office.”

 

When Daniel arrived, Sheppard looked like he’d come from the shower, and he had a bruise beginning to purple on the right side of his face. “Your girlfriend has quite the punch,” Sheppard said when he caught Daniel looking at it.

 

“She does,” Daniel replied, having his own memories of Vala’s battle prowess. “I take it you were sparring with her.”

 

Sheppard shrugged. “I try to spar with most of the gate team members. It gives me a better idea of what they’re capable of.”

 

Daniel felt as though that might be something of a threat, that Sheppard would spar with Daniel, and he didn’t know how he’d do.

 

“I want back on a gate team,” Daniel insisted, deciding to ignore Sheppard’s unspoken question.

 

Sheppard nodded thoughtfully. “Does this have anything to do with Vala?”

 

“Would you let McKay go out without you?” Daniel countered.

 

Sheppard shrugged. “I have before, and I probably will again, when it makes sense. I’m going to tell you now that if I put you on a gate team, it may or may not be with Vala. She’s very good on a first contact team, and I’d rather keep you in reserve for something else.”

 

Daniel’s disappointment surely showed on his face, because Sheppard said, “It’s nothing personal, doc. You’re one of our best translators, and I honestly can’t risk you. I’d love to use you for cultural missions once we know a planet is safe, and I know you want to start gathering oral histories.”

 

Daniel frowned. “How could you possibly know that?”

 

“Vala talks about you sometimes,” Sheppard said. “She mentioned it.”

 

Daniel shook his head. “I’m capable in the field. I don’t want—”

 

Sheppard sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face. “I know this is hard. This is really fucking hard. How do you think I felt the first time Elizabeth said Rodney and I couldn’t go on the same mission together, because the risk was too great?”

 

Daniel swallowed. He could guess. “Yeah.”

 

“Look, I can pretty much promise you that I won’t send Vala on a team without me or you,” Sheppard offered. “She’s an important asset, and I like her a lot. So does Ronon. We’ll do our damnedest to make sure she gets back to you in one piece, or we’ll put her on your team, so you know what’s going on. That’s honestly the best I can do for you.”

 

Daniel nodded. “I’ll take it.”

 

Sheppard raised his eyebrows. “That’s it? No arguments? I was led to believe that you argued about everything.”

 

Daniel shrugged. “My reputation precedes me, but I get it. You have a point, and I try not to argue with people who are right.”

 

Sheppard laughed. “Fair enough. I’ll talk with Lorne, and we’ll get you on the schedule. Do you want to do a rotation with the Athosians?”

 

Sheppard asked seriously, and Daniel took it in the spirit that it was offered. “Yes. If Vala and I can go together, I would like to go.”

 

“Vala said the same thing,” Sheppard replied. “I’ll work you two into the schedule. You can expect to go in a couple of months.”

 

“Thanks,” Daniel said. “I appreciate it.”

 

Sheppard nodded. “Thanks for helping out. And I’ll let you know about harvesting from the Donak. We promised to help them with the not-coffee crop.”

 

“Gotta have coffee,” Daniel agreed. “Whatever I can do, Colonel.”

 

“Happy to have your help, doc.”

 

Daniel called Vala over the radio. “You busy?”

 

“I’m training with Teyla and the other Athosians,” she replied. “I thought we were going to get dinner.”

 

“We are, definitely,” Daniel replied. “I just finished a translation, and I thought I’d see if you were busy.”

 

“A little busy,” she replied. “Talk to you later.”

 

Daniel had put Vala off often enough for work that he was beginning to feel as though he was getting a taste of his own medicine.

 

On the other hand, he was glad Vala was settling in, and finding something that she could do, and that she was good at.

 

“Back to translating,” Daniel muttered. “No rest for the wicked.”

 

~~~~~

 

“Did Dr. Jackson need you?” Teyla asked when Vala finished her brief conversation with Daniel.

 

“No, he was just bored,” Vala replied. “This is more important right now.”

 

Teyla raised an eyebrow. “Does this have anything to do with the number of times he’s forgotten a date you’d made?”

 

Vala smiled. “It might.”

 

“Fair enough.” Teyla turned back to the group. “Very well, who’s up next?”

 

They started up the training session again, only to be interrupted thirty minutes later by a citywide alert. Colonel Sheppard’s voice came over the intercom.

 

“We have an incoming ship, that has so far remained unidentified,” he said. “Everyone, get to your battle stations. Non-military personnel, return to your quarters and stay there until further notice.”

 

Vala exchanged a look with Teyla. “We need to go to the armory,” Teyla said. “The rest of you, follow me.”

 

They ran for their gear, and were shrugging into tac vests when Teyla received a call. Vala could hear her side of the conversation.

 

“Of course, John,” she replied. “I have Vala and the other Athosians with me. We’ll be on the East Pier momentarily.”

 

Vala strapped on a thigh holster and got a call from Daniel. “Where are you?” he asked.

 

“I’m with Teyla, and we’re heading to the East Pier,” Vala replied. “Where are _you_?”

 

“Our quarters,” he replied. “Like I was ordered. Do you need me?”

 

“I think we have enough people,” Vala replied. “Stay safe.”

 

“You too.”

 

Vala cut the transmission, and they ran again, this time with P-90s in hand. Halfway there, they were joined by a group of Marines, who fell into step behind them. She suspected that they made an impressive show of force.

 

The hallways were clear as they headed from the transporter to the pier, filing out with weapons at the ready. Sheppard and Weir were already there, both of them wearing vests. Weir wasn’t armed, but Sheppard was, and Ronon stood next to him, his hand resting on his blaster.

 

Sheppard turned to look at them as they arrived. “We can’t communicate with the ship. We’ve tried, and there’s no response. It’s moving pretty slowly, though, and Atlantis seems to think that it might be damaged.”

 

“Wraith?” Teyla asked.

 

Sheppard shook his head. “Not Wraith. Atlantis thinks it might be an Earth vessel.”

 

“We could shoot it down,” Ronon suggested.

 

“I’d rather not,” Weir said firmly. “Not until we know whether they’re friends or foes.”

 

Sheppard gave her a look. “It might be better to be safe than sorry.”

 

“And if we have a ship on our side, that’s going to be a hell of a lot better than shooting it out of the sky and finding out they were friendly,” Weird replied sharply. To Vala, it sounded like an old argument.

 

Sheppard didn’t argue, and just cradled his weapon.

 

Beckett rushed out, wearing a vest and followed by several other medical personnel, including Cassie. “Have they landed yet?”

 

“We might not need you here,” Sheppard replied sharply.

 

“And if you do need me, I want to be on hand,” Beckett said curtly. “Deal with it, Colonel.”

 

Cassie grinned.

 

“No lip from the peanut gallery,” Sheppard said, but he winked at Cassie. There was a noise above them, and he ordered, “Everybody, move back. Weapons at the ready.”

 

They all did as ordered, and to Vala’s surprise, the _Daedalus_ came into sight, although to her expert eye, it looked as though it had been through the wars, with scorch marks on the hull, and a few panels missing. It limped in—there was no other word for it—and landed with a shudder that Vala would have described as tired.

 

“Have the Goa’uld scanner ready, Beckett,” Sheppard ordered. “I want every one of them cleared before they get off this pier.”

 

“Yes, sir,” Beckett replied stoutly. “But if anyone needs medical attention—”

 

“Then we’ll scan them first. If they’ve got a Goa’uld, they’ll heal,” Sheppard said implacably.

 

“Aye,” Beckett said unhappily.

 

The door opened and a bald man disembarked first, his hands raised. He had a nasty cut over his left eye, and he moved slowly, but he didn’t look seriously injured. “Colonel Sheppard, I’m putting myself and the lives of my crew in your hands.”

 

“How many are there, and is there anyone who needs medical attention, Colonel Caldwell?” Sheppard asked.

 

Caldwell shook his head, keeping his hands raised. “There are one hundred and fifty, and no one is critical. The crew who were badly injured died.”

 

“We need to scan you for Goa’ulds,” Sheppard said, somewhat apologetically. “We’ll see to the injured as soon as we do.”

 

Caldwell nodded. “Absolutely.”

 

Sheppard and the other gene carriers all took scanners—those that were available—and checked out the crewmen one by one, starting with Caldwell, and then moving to those who were most injured.

 

Since Vala couldn’t use a scanner, she stayed close to overhear Caldwell’s conversation with Weir.

 

“When we heard about the arrest warrants, we knew something had gone seriously wrong,” Caldwell explained. “After my experience, I didn’t want to risk anything, so I tried to stay away from Earth’s orbit. I kept trying to find emergencies, and when I got the call to return to Earth, I stayed away as long as I could, before making a break for it.”

 

Weir nodded. “We’ll save the debriefing for later, when everyone is here. Right now, I’ll have those cleared escorted to medical.”

 

Caldwell cleared his throat. “I’d like to stay until all of my people are off.”

 

“Of course, Colonel,” Weir said smoothly.

 

Teyla and Ronon stayed put, and so did Vala, watching as people stepped off, were scanned, and then were sent to the infirmary.

 

Everything went smoothly up until one young lieutenant realized what Sheppard and the other gene carriers were doing. “You can’t do that!” he protested.

 

Lorne, Reeves, and Sheppard had been manning the scanners, and now they let those fall and raised their weapons. “You’re wrong about that, Lieutenant Gupta,” Sheppard said quietly. “Ronon?”

 

The man didn’t have the opportunity to run. Ronon shot him without hesitation, rendering Gupta unconscious. Sheppard ran the scanner over his neck and shook his head. “He’s infected.”

 

Caldwell swore bitterly. “Fuck. Elizabeth, I’m sorry.”

 

Weir raised a hand to stop him. “Did you suspect?”

 

“There were a few instances of what might have been sabotage, but I couldn’t prove it,” Caldwell admitted. “We didn’t have time for a full investigation.”

 

Vala could hear the weariness in his voice, and she couldn’t help but be sympathetic. She remembered how tired they had all been by the time they reached Atlantis.

 

Sheppard nodded. “I understand. I’m afraid we’re going to have to insist on quarantine procedures for your crew. We’ll work to clear everybody as quickly as possible, but we can’t take risks with our own people.”

 

Caldwell nodded. “I would expect nothing less.”

 

Sheppard beckoned over a couple of Marines. “Take Gupta to a holding cell. Call Stackhouse and tell him that we need a guard rotation. We’ll figure out what we going to do with him long term once we get everybody else through the infirmary.”

 

Vala did a quick mental calculation and realized that they had only cleared twenty. She settled her P-90 a little more comfortably and settled in for the long haul.


	6. Enemies Within, Enemies Without

_“The influx of crew from the_ Daedalus _caused as many problems as it solved. On the one hand, we needed more engineers once the city woke up, and it carried some much-needed medical supplies and other food stores. The X-302s gave us more air power, and we thought that if we could fix her up, we might have a better shot at getting to and from earth, depending on the information that Mitchell brought back. But it also meant over a hundred new people on the city who weren’t Atlantean, and we knew that at least one, and possibly more, had been compromised. And that’s on top of the problems Kolya was making for us, and the Wraith stepping up their game.”_  

 

~Interview with Evan Lorne

 

Elizabeth placed her hands on the table. “What have you got?”

 

Stackhouse shifted uncomfortably under the eyes of all those assembled, the early morning light highlighting the dark shadows under his eyes. “I’m really sorry, ma’am, but when I gave you my estimates for supplies, I didn’t know we’d have an influx of over a hundred people.”

 

“There’s no way you could have known, Marcus,” Elizabeth soothed. “This was completely unexpected for everyone.”

 

Stackhouse nodded. “Thank you, Dr. Weir. It’s just—we can eventually get quarters sorted for them. It will take a few days, but we can deal with it. It’s just that with the number of people that have come in, we’re going to need more food—and everything else.”

 

“What kind of timeframe are we looking at?” Sheppard asked.

 

Stackhouse pulled up a spreadsheet on his tablet. “Six months for food. The Athosian harvest will buy us time, obviously, but we’re going to need more food sooner than we anticipated.”

 

“We’re going to need more allies then,” O’Neill said.

 

“Good luck convincing anybody to help when Kolya is out there killing people,” John said sourly.

 

“We’re going to have to try,” Lorne said. “If we want to feed our people, we don’t have a choice.”

 

“It’s not just food,” Stackhouse said miserably. “It’s uniforms, medication, blankets—it’s everything, ma’am.”

 

John was sitting next to Stackhouse, and he patted the sergeant on the shoulder. “No one’s blaming you, Stackhouse. You’re the best quartermaster we’ve got.”

 

Stackhouse managed a smile. “I’m the only quartermaster you’ve got, sir.”

 

“Well, there is that,” John agreed. “We’re going to figure it out, Sarge. You keep track of supplies, and tell us what we need. Let us worry about the rest.”

 

“Yes, sir,” Stackhouse said.

 

“We still have to decide what we’re going to do about Gupta,” O’Neill said.

 

John rubbed his hands over his face. “Carson, Dr. Lam, do you have a way to get the Goa’uld out of him?”

 

Lam glanced at Carson, hitching a shoulder. Carson was the one to reply. “In short, no. We sent Colonel Caldwell back to earth for treatment because we didn’t have the capacity here.”

 

“We might be able to manage it if you give us some time,” Lam inserted.

 

Elizabeth sighed. “Well, it’s either that or marooning him on a planet with a space gate.”

 

Some of the senior officers around the table looked surprised, but O’Neill and John looked approving.

 

“We’re playing for keeps,” Elizabeth acknowledged. “We have children on this city, and we have people to protect. If we’re going to make this a home, we have to deal with threats.”

 

John sighed. “We can screen for Goa’uld, but we can’t be sure that there wasn’t another operative among the crew. We should interview them all. We’re going to need to get bios on them, find out what kind of skills they have outside their MOS. We’ll need to account for all their time for the last year, and put them on less sensitive missions.”

 

“The alpha site,” Lorne said quietly. “It’s still spring there. We haven’t had the personnel to think about planting our own crops until now. We can rotate a mix of people through there.”

 

“My people will be happy to provide assistance,” Teyla said. “And we can put more crops in next spring, and do more hunting on the mainland.”

 

John reached back and put his hand on the wall. “Atlantis will help. It’s flagging entries for Dr. Jackson, locations for worlds that might provide what we need.”

 

O’Neill glared at him. “How is it that Atlantis will do all that for you?”

 

John shrugged. “I guess she likes me best.”

 

“The city is a person now?” Rodney demanded.

 

“Atlantis has always had something of a personality,” John said defensively. “It just so happens that she has more of a personality now than she did before she was completely awake.”

 

Rodney rolled his eyes, but he didn’t argue further. “We should see if we can find any information on how the Ancients got their food. It had to have come from somewhere.”

 

“I’ll inquire,” Daniel promised. “Atlantis doesn’t like me quite as much as she likes Colonel Sheppard, but I might have some leads.”

 

“What’s it going to take to fix the _Daedalus_?” O’Neill asked.

 

Sam shook her head. “It’s going to take a lot. We’re working on a damages estimate now.”

 

“Does the transporter work?” John asked, looking at Rodney.

 

Rodney frowned. “Yeah, that’s fine. Why?”

 

“Can we put it in another vessel?” John asked.

 

“Not likely,” Rodney replied. “We don’t have another ship, and we don’t have the power. Why?”

 

“Because we could use it,” John said. “Because we could take a ship back to Earth and beam off every single one of the people we care about, and the people who are in danger. We could get supplies, too. We could gather information without as much danger.”

 

Everyone around the table blinked, stunned at the sheer scope of the proposal. Elizabeth straightened in her chair, realizing what was being proposed.

 

It was an ambitious idea, bordering on crazy, and yet Elizabeth could suddenly see it working.

 

“The cloaks on the jumpers could be used on the _Daedalus_ ,” Zelenka said slowly. “It would take some work, but it’s possible.”

 

“Some work!” Rodney objected. “More like weeks of work!”

 

“But it’s doable,” Sam inserted. “I think we can get it done if we all pitch in.”

 

“How much time to refit the _Daedalus_?” John asked.

 

Elizabeth began to see the scope of his proposal. “I don’t know,” Sam hedged. “It depends on the scope of the damage, and we haven’t been able to go over it completely.”

 

“Best estimate,” Elizabeth insisted.

 

Sam hesitated. “That depends on what you want it for. If we’re talking about getting it to fly again, two weeks. Sooner, if we could get the _Daedalus_ crew on it. If we’re talking about going back to Earth, more like two months to ensure it will get there and back again.”

 

Elizabeth did a quick mental calculation. “Don’t take unnecessary risks, but make clearing them your first priority. Those who present the least risk should be cleared first.”

 

“How are we supposed to know who’s the least risk?” Lorne asked. “With all due respect, Dr. Weir, if someone’s been compromised, it could just as easily be someone we _don’t_ expect, and who seems to have a solid alibi. If that’s the case, then we’ll be giving them the perfect opportunity to commit sabotage.”

 

“Not to mention that we’re going to have an inquisition on our hands anyway,” John said softly. “I know we need to clear these folks, Elizabeth, but I think we need to be cautious.”

 

Elizabeth nodded. “Agreed. What would you suggest?”

 

“Put Cadman on the investigation, along with a couple of others we trust,” John said. “Find out if Gupta was the only one who could have committed the acts of sabotage. If so, then we may be okay. If not, then we need to look harder. We take it by stages, and we make no assumptions. Until we know for sure, we follow quarantine procedures.”

 

“Agreed,” Elizabeth replied. “Until we’re done with interviews, or Lieutenant Cadman is done with her investigation, everyone from the _Daedalus_ will be placed on restriction. I don’t want them to feel like they’re in jail, but let’s keep an eye on them.”

 

John cleared his throat. “I hate to say it, but Atlantis can do that, too.”

 

Elizabeth smiled. “Of course it can. Thank you. Next up.”

 

She took reports from the rest of the staff, and thankfully, there were no other surprises. Knowing that all their carefully calculated treaties, the ones that were supposed to get them through the next year, were going to fall short was a heavy blow.

 

Elizabeth didn’t regret the fact that the _Daedalus_ had arrived, but she did worry whether they were going to be able to feed and clothe everyone.

 

Once staff reports had been taken, everyone other than John, Rodney, O’Neill, and Sam left the conference room, and Elizabeth called Ronon in. “We’re ready now.”

 

A few minutes later, Ronon escorted Colonel Caldwell into the conference room.

 

“You can stay, Chewie,” John said softly, and Ronon took a position near the door.

 

Elizabeth didn’t argue, knowing that after the last time Caldwell had been on the city, Ronon wouldn’t be inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Caldwell’s lips twitched, but he didn’t respond otherwise.

 

“Have a seat, Steven,” Elizabeth invited. “Now that we’re all here, we’d like to hear about what happened. As you can imagine, we don’t have much information about what occurred on Earth.”

 

Caldwell took a deep breath. “I had just returned to my post when I started hearing the rumors that command had issued warrants for your arrests.” He met O’Neill’s eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t come back for you, sir. I just—”

 

“You did what was best for your crew,” O’Neill said softly. “That was your job.”

 

He nodded. “I had orders to visit one of our allies to collect a shipment of naquadah, and I did so. When I got back to Earth, I was notified that Cheyenne Mountain had experienced a critical power failure, and the gate had been closed.”

 

Elizabeth frowned. “But there’s a second gate.”

 

“Which is why I knew that we weren’t safe, and something had gone very wrong,” Caldwell said with a wry smile. “I acknowledged the transmission, denied all shore leave, and got the ship’s doctor to declare an outbreak of something that required quarantine.”

 

“When did Gupta transfer in?” John asked.

 

“After the rumors, before quarantine,” Caldwell said. “My best guess is that I was supposed to be on that first wave to subvert Earth, if you know what I mean.”

 

“We do,” O’Neill confirmed. “Continue.”

 

Slowly, Caldwell began outlining the next couple of weeks, how they had surreptitiously beamed up supplies, how he had begun taking the officers under his command into his confidence, how they had determined who to trust. How, in the end, they had beamed down twenty people who hadn’t been considered sufficiently trustworthy, or who had asked not to go, and made a break for it.

 

“Earth doesn’t have a lot of spare ships,” Caldwell explained. “We knew that leaving would leave Earth vulnerable, but there didn’t seem to be another option without opening ourselves up to being taken over by a Goa’uld.”

 

O’Neill frowned. “What do you mean it doesn’t have a lot of spare ships? As far as I know, it has a few 302s, and the rest are still in production.”

 

Caldwell hesitated. “I think the Trust has gathered other ships, sir. We tangled with a few motherships on the way out. That’s why we were beat all to hell.”

 

Elizabeth watched as O’Neill’s head dropped, looking sick. “Then it happened. I thought that’s what we were trying to prevent.”

 

Sam reached over and covered O’Neill’s hand with her own. “Any guesses on who’s calling the shots?”

 

Caldwell shook his head. “No. If the snake in my head knew, it kept me out of the loop. I’m sorry,” he added, looking around the table. “I wish I had better information for you. If I’d been thinking about anything other than getting my people out alive, I would have…”

 

“There’s nothing you could have done,” John said quietly, and Elizabeth was surprised he was the one offering absolution, given his contentious relationship with Caldwell. “We all make choices that we second guess once we’re through.”

 

Caldwell met John’s gaze steadily, and then he nodded. “Thank you. I lost a few people, but I picked up another couple of teams from the SGC. We had to stop off a couple of times for supplies, and I made sure it was in areas that were friendly. I can give you a list of those names.”

 

“That would be helpful,” Elizabeth acknowledged. “I’m sure you understand why we have to continue to exercise caution.”

 

“I do,” Caldwell said. “I would do no less in your position. But whatever I can do, Dr. Weir, I will.”

 

O’Neill and John asked a few other questions after that on military matters, and Sam and Rodney asked about the state of the ship and the damage sustained. She felt it was a productive session, and she didn’t sense that Caldwell was being dishonest, although she wasn’t sure she’d know the difference.

 

After all, Caldwell had fooled all of them when he’d had a Goa’uld in his head.

 

“I think he’s clean,” John said after Ronon had escorted him out.

 

Elizabeth was a little surprised by that. “You do?”

 

“He had a snake in his head,” John observed. “If there’s anybody motivated to keep that from happening again, it’s him.”

 

“Also, me and Sam,” O’Neill said wryly. “But Sheppard makes a good point. Caldwell is a canny officer who knows the score, and who had a reason to play it safe. I believe him.”

 

Rodney cleared his throat. “I have to admit that he’s a lot less of an asshole now.”

 

That broke the tension around the table as everyone smiled or laughed outright, and Elizabeth nodded. “We keep to the plan for now, but if Colonel Caldwell is willing, then I think he should remain in command of the _Daedalus_. If we can get it back in working order, we can use it to get people off Earth, and even return those who most want to go back.”

 

O’Neill raised his eyebrow. “Is that really a good idea? If people know we exist—”

 

“They know we exist,” John said, backing her up. “They have our coordinates, as Caldwell proved. If they wanted to send a fleet of ships, they could, and maybe they will. But there are those who don’t want to stay, and it’s probably better not to force them.”

 

“Atlantis was always supposed to be a voluntary mission,” Rodney added quietly. “If people have the chance to bring their families here, maybe they’ll stay, even if they wouldn’t have otherwise. But we’re here for the long haul, and we need personnel who are okay with that.”

 

Elizabeth smiled, appreciating the backup. “O’Neill? Sam?”

 

“I agree,” Sam said softly. “We need everyone to be committed. This isn’t going to be easy.”

 

O’Neill nodded. “All right. Then what’s our next step?”

 

~~~~~

 

 _He was stalking someone, following the sound of their footsteps through the trees, the hunger so sharp it was a physical ache. He didn’t know who he was chasing, but he_ had _to catch up._

_He heard a branch snap, and he ran in that direction._

_When he spotted the person running, he sped his steps, and tackled them, turning them over and slamming his hand down on his chest._

_It wasn’t until he’d drained half the life force that he realized it was Rodney._

 

John woke suddenly, gasping for air. Rodney stirred next to him, and John was suddenly grateful for his presence. “Go to sleep,” he murmured.

 

Rodney grumbled sleepily. “Yeah, yeah.”

 

He subsided, though, and John pulled on shorts and a t-shirt after a quick look at the clock told him he was in time to go for a run.

 

John jogged in place outside Rodney’s quarters until he saw Ronon, and then he matched Ronon’s punishing pace.

 

“Didn’t think you’d make it,” Ronon said a few minutes in.

 

John grunted in lieu of an answer, and Ronon was a good enough friend not to press for more.

 

As was their habit, they ran into Cassie, Sam, and Lorne, and slowed down enough to match their pace for a time, until they broke off for a route that would take them on a longer run around the city.

 

At least, they ran until Ronon pulled to a stop around one of the more deserted areas of the city.

 

“You’ve been slower,” Ronon observed.

 

John stretched to give himself something to do other than meeting Ronon’s steady gaze. “It’s been a rough couple of weeks.”

 

Ronon sighed. “You owe your life to a Wraith.”

 

John scowled at the floor. “Thanks for reminding me.”

 

“Not your fault.”

 

John froze, but didn’t reply.

 

“He took something from you, and then he gave it back,” Ronon said. “That doesn’t mean you owe him—or them—anything.”

 

“It doesn’t feel like that,” John admitted, although he didn’t mention the dreams. He couldn’t. He thought Ronon might look at him differently, like he was unclean, and it meant too fucking much to have Ronon there with him right now.

 

“Doesn’t matter what it feels like,” Ronon insisted. “It matters what _is_.”

 

And thank God, that was the end of that, and John followed Ronon along the rest of their route.

 

He spent the rest of the day putting out fires, making contact with the crew of the _Daedalus_ , and getting to know them. He had a sparring session with Teyla, and time on the range that coincided with Lorne’s lessons with Cassie. From there, he took a late afternoon meeting with Elizabeth and Beckett to talk about how soon the Wraith poison would be ready, and then he had a meeting with Lorne, Cadman, and Stackhouse about the new personnel.

 

It was a busy fucking day.

 

And really, John had a lot of reasons to dislike and outright distrust Caldwell, starting with the fact that Caldwell had done his damnedest to take John’s command, and ending with the real possibility that he’d been compromised. John was naturally suspicious by nature, so he understood why Elizabeth had been surprised that he’d given the opinion that Caldwell was clean.

 

But John had been helpless not that long ago, and he knew what lengths he’d go to in order to prevent it from happening again.

 

Plus, John wasn’t exactly worried that Caldwell was going to take his job. That was secure under the charter; if O’Neill couldn’t take over, and was backing John, John didn’t have to fear Caldwell trying.

 

“All right, let’s go over it again,” John said wearily.

 

It was late now, and they’d only just begun going over the preliminary interviews for the first fifty people who had come in on the _Daedalus_. They were sifting through the personnel files, looking for any possible threats, anyone whose story didn’t line up with the records Rodney had pulled from the on board computers.

 

Thankfully, the computers kept a record of transporter use, but not coming or going, or who or what had been transported. That meant they were piecing things together, sifting through too much information.

 

And the sooner they could clear people, the sooner they could put them to work. John knew very well that they couldn’t keep a hundred and fifty people locked up for any length of time.

 

“I can definitely say that it was sabotage,” Cadman said wearily. “I can tell you that it’s entirely possible that only one person was responsible, and that it might have been Gupta. I’m going to need at least another few days to determine whether someone else might have helped him. But I can’t guarantee that we’ll ever know for sure.”

 

“Good enough,” Sheppard said. “Is there a possibility that we can rule people out fairly quickly?”

 

Cadman thought for a moment. “That’s possible.”

 

“Do what you can,” John said. “Those we can’t clear with certainty in the next week, we’ll send to the alpha site.”

 

Lorne winced. “That’s not going to make them happy.”

 

“I don’t give a fuck if they’re happy, at least not in the short term,” John replied, but his voice held no heat. He was too tired for that. “We’re going to have to feed them, and we can rotate more people out with them if need be. They’ll need something to do.”

 

Stackhouse cleared his throat. “I think you should ask for volunteers, sir.”

 

John was tempted to dismiss that idea out of hand, but he held back. Stackhouse rarely offered suggestions, but they were usually good ones when he did. “I’m listening.”

 

“Most of them know the score,” Stackhouse explained earnestly. “I’ve had a quick conversation with just about everybody, and they all know that them being here means we have a strain on resources, and we don’t necessarily have jobs for them. They want to help.”

 

John nodded. “All right. Let’s give it another three days, and then we’ll put it to them. I want to be as fair as I can to them, but there might be those we have to send to the alpha site just to ensure they aren’t a danger to Atlantis. So, give Cadman the time she needs, then ask for volunteers. If we don’t get enough, we’ll start assigning people.”

 

Stackhouse rubbed his temples wearily. “Yes, sir. I’ll do my best.”

 

“If you need help, let us know, Marcus,” John said. “You’re allowed.”

 

Stackhouse smiled. “Yes, sir. Thank you.”

 

Rodney poked his head in. “Okay, so, pardon the role reversal, but it’s late, and you need to sleep. All of you, not just John,” he added.

 

“I’m on call tonight,” Lorne said, holding out his hand for the shared tablet they’d been using for the scheduling. “The rest of you, get some sleep.”

 

“Are you giving me orders?” John asked, but he handed over the tablet.

 

“It’s one of my few opportunities, sir,” Lorne said with a grin.

 

John gave him a sharp look that was probably spoiled by his twitching lips. “Get some rest tonight.”

 

“You, too, Colonel,” Lorne replied.

 

John followed Rodney back to his quarters, which was where he’d been sleeping every night for the last couple of weeks.

 

Ever since the Wraith.

 

And John had no idea what he’d done to deserve Rodney’s support on this front, but Rodney hadn’t so much as said a word about the nightmares John had been having nearly every night.

 

Of course, his luck couldn’t hold forever.

 

“Seriously, I’m a little worried,” Rodney said as soon as the door slid shut behind John. “I know you went through a traumatic experience, and that we don’t really talk about our feelings or anything like that—for which I am really, really grateful—but when I’m the one telling people they aren’t sleeping enough, it’s time to worry.”

 

John huffed a laugh at Rodney’s typical rapid-fire delivery. “I have a meeting with Kate the day after tomorrow. She insisted.”

 

“I’m glad someone has some sense,” Rodney replied. “I know I keep asking you this, but are you okay?”

 

John knew that Rodney deserved an honest answer, if only because John’s nightmares kept waking him up. “I don’t know.”

 

“Okay,” Rodney said slowly. “Is there anything I can do?”

 

“No.” John wished there _were_ something Rodney could do, but he suspected that it was just going to take time—and maybe killing Kolya.

 

“You want to go out to the pier and get drunk?” Rodney offered. “If nothing else, you might be able to sleep.”

 

“I’m not going to leave Lorne hanging,” John protested. “He might need me.”

 

Rodney glared at him. “Okay, I’m overruling your decision right now, because at the moment I think I have a better idea of what you need than you do, something I find frightening, quite frankly.”

 

Over John’s protests, Rodney called Lorne and told him John would be on duty late the next morning, then gave Elizabeth and Sam the same courtesy. “Thanks, Sam,” Rodney said on his end of the call. “I owe you one.”

 

“I think you probably owe her several,” John said as Rodney pulled his radio out of his ear and tossed it on the desk.

 

“Probably,” Rodney agreed easily. “And when she needs to collect, I’ll pay her back. Let’s go.”

 

John let Rodney manhandle him out to one of their favorite balconies, along with a couple of mugs that Laro had made and a jug of ale. “Drink up,” Rodney said, pouring a mugful and handing it to John. “The sooner you’re sloshed, the sooner we can go to bed.”

 

“Your concern moves me,” John said dryly.

 

“I’m concerned,” Rodney protested. “I’m concerned that you need sleep, and I’m really hoping that this will knock you out, because we don’t have a lot of other options with the shortage of medications. And since I know you wouldn’t take them anyway.”

 

“I wouldn’t,” John agreed, and took a long drink.

 

Rodney nodded. “So, we try the next best thing until you get your head around it, that’s all. Maybe you should spend some time with the Athosians again. That seemed to help you.”

 

“I can’t possibly leave the city right now,” John protested.

 

“Maybe not now, but in a couple of weeks,” Rodney said. “When things have settled down. Sam mentioned that she and O’Neill wanted to go. They go, we go, it’ll be good.”

 

“I didn’t think you had a good time,” John objected.

 

Rodney gave him a look. “Well, I wasn’t happy about going without you, but it wasn’t bad.”

 

John drank another glass of ale, and the alcohol hit him like a ton of bricks. He hadn’t eaten much that day.

 

It was easier to talk now. “I keep having this dream, you know?”

 

“What dream?” Rodney asked, his tone as gentle as it ever got for Rodney.

 

“That I’m a Wraith,” John admitted. “That I chase you and drain you.”

 

He was more blunt than he might have been otherwise, but the alcohol dulled the fear and embarrassment, and it felt good to finally come clean.

 

“Well, that sounds perfectly awful,” Rodney replied mildly.

 

John glanced at him. “That’s it?”

 

“What do you want me to say?” Rodney asked, giving him an incredulous look. “Are you planning on chasing me down and draining me?” He grabbed John’s hand. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. Even if you wanted, you couldn’t.”

 

“I don’t want to,” John said irritably.

 

Rodney shrugged. “Okay, then, your brain is fucked up. We knew that already.”

 

Somehow, that made John’s stomach unknot. Rodney’s unthinking acceptance was what John had most needed.

 

That, and to get drunk.

 

“Let’s go to bed,” Rodney said. “Come on.”

 

“What?” John asked.

 

“I know a way to help you realize that your body is yours,” Rodney said, reaching out a hand to pull John to his feet. “Come on. Let’s go.”

 

His brain was dulled by alcohol, which would explain why it took him a second to figure out what Rodney was referring to. “Oh. Yeah, okay.”

 

Rodney rolled his eyes. “Really? Okay? That’s what you got for me?”

 

John smirked at him. “The thought of your body gets me hard.”

 

“That’s better,” Rodney said. “Now, you need to make good on that.”

 

John followed Rodney back to their quarters, and thought that he was a lucky man.

 

~~~~~

 

Teyla knew that John had been struggling, and she was grateful to see him looking clear eyed and rested before their briefing.

 

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

 

John rolled his eyes. “I’m fine.” But his smile told her that he was being honest.

 

Elizabeth came into the room. “We have word on Kolya.”

 

John straightened. “Really?”

 

“Ladon said he had information,” Elizabeth said. “Whether that’s true or not, they’re going to be on a world that serves a main trading hub. Which is why Kolya will be there, and is why we would go in any case, because we need more supplies. If you do take Kolya out, it needs to be quietly.”

 

“I can do that,” Ronon said, sounding menacing. Teyla suspected that he was planning to slip a knife between Kolya’s ribs. She didn’t have a problem with that.

 

Elizabeth gave him a look. “If you kill him, it needs to be in a place where no one has any idea you were the one who did it.”

 

“No problem,” Ronon replied casually.

 

Elizabeth smiled. “John?”

 

“I’ll be cautious,” he promised, although his expression told a different story to someone who knew him well.

 

Teyla made a note to hold John to that promise, because he was all too willing to go off on his own if need be. Vala caught her eye and lifted an eyebrow. Teyla was grateful to have another person looking out for John and the others.

 

She also knew that Vala wasn’t above slitting Kolya’s throat, if that looked like the right option.

 

“We’ll keep an eye on things,” Teyla said for both of them.

 

“Good,” Elizabeth said. “Let me go over the information Ladon sent. Teyla, Ronon, if you have any information to the contrary, now would be the time to let me know.”

 

They both shook their heads.

 

“All right, then. Ladon thinks that Kolya will be on M71-444 tomorrow, which is a big market day on that world, and people come from all over. John? Any ideas?” Elizabeth prompted.

 

John shrugged. “We go, but we go out of uniform, dressed like locals. We keep at least one person by the gate, to cut off escape, and we use tranq darts for anybody we want to take alive.”

 

Teyla believed it to be a good plan, one that posed minimal risk, and Elizabeth nodded. “Agreed. Be careful, all of you. You leave at 0500 tomorrow. That should place you at the market in time for the stalls opening.”

 

Rodney groaned and John grimaced, but neither argued. They would leave the following morning, and they would find Kolya. Perhaps they would kill him. Perhaps they would capture him. Teyla didn’t care, as long as they all came through in one piece, and they caught Kolya.

 

Teyla didn’t care if Kolya was dead or alive, and she thought she might prefer _dead_.

 

They had the rest of the day to train or relax or whatever; Teyla had every intention of distracting John as best she could.

 

“I’m holding a training session this afternoon,” Teyla said, grabbing John’s arm. “Join us.”

 

John hesitated. “There are some things I should do.”

 

“They can wait,” Teyla urged. “Join us.”

 

“All right,” John agreed.

 

Three of the Athosian guides were out on a mission, but many Marines had been joining them, and Cassie occasionally came as well. More and more scientists were joining them these days, wanting to learn self-defense.

 

Teaching didn’t come naturally to John, but that meant that he had to work hard to focus on the student, and the best means of communicating what he wanted. He was too good of a leader not to do his best, though, and she could see his quiet pride when one of his students picked up a technique for the first time.

 

When their students were tired, John and Ronon squared off, which was always a treat for the onlookers, if only because they got a chance to see John get his ass handed to him—as the Marines might have said.

 

Ronon and John used the _bantos_ today, which Ronon was slightly less familiar with, and gave John more of an edge than he usually had with Ronon.  Not that Ronon gave John any quarter.

 

They were both skilled, though, and their sparring looked more like a dance than anything else. John took a hit to the right side, and he repaid Ronon by a stinging blow to the left wrist that had Ronon dropping one of the sticks.

 

John pressed his advantage, and Ronon fell back, then rolled to collect the fallen stick and came up fighting. John danced out of the way, and then tried for a replay. Ronon retaliated by striking out so quickly that John only dodged half the blows.

 

And then Ronon swept John’s legs out from under him, and landed on top of John, pinning him to the mat.

 

“Uncle,” John said with a grin.

 

Ronon chuckled, and rose to his feet, giving John a hand up. “Good session.”

 

“You too, Chewie,” John said, and Teyla thought he seemed more centered than he had since Kolya had tortured him. “Thanks.”

 

Teyla dismissed the rest of her students and then got cleaned up, heading out to find Laro; it had been too long since she’d spent time with her cousin.

 

She found him on the balcony off the quarters he shared with Lorne, throwing a pot. Teyla did not disturb him, finding a spot where she could lean against the wall and watch him.

 

It was a warm day, and Laro worked bare-chested, wearing only a pair of cutoffs, as he shaped the large container. The corded muscles of his arms and shoulders flexed under tanned skin.

 

The vessel took shape under Laro’s hands, wide in the middle and with a small mouth. A pot for carrying water, then, but more graceful than most vessels of that sort that Teyla had seen.

 

She remembered when they were children, when Laro had first started showing aptitude with clay. Teyla had learned the way of the warrior, and she thought perhaps the way she felt when she was fighting, as though she had found her place, was the way Laro felt as he threw a pot.

 

When he finished, he separated the pot from the wheel with a piece of wire, and then turned to Teyla. “It is good to see you.”

 

“You, too,” Teyla said, greeting him in the traditional way.

 

“I will get clay all over you,” Laro protested mildly. “Let me get cleaned up.”

 

She waited for him, looking around his quarters, seeing signs of Laro and of Lorne. There were Laro’s pieces, both finished and not, scattered around the room, including the piece that Laro had given Lorne before he’d come to Atlantis. There were pictures of Lorne with a woman who looked so much like him she had to be a relative, and the same woman in a picture with a man who had dark skin, and two little boys with skin a shade somewhere between theirs.

 

Another picture showed an older couple with the two boys, and Teyla assumed they were Lorne’s parents.

 

“I hope to meet them someday,” Laro said, emerging from the bathroom, now fully dressed in leather trousers and a loose shirt.

 

“There is some talk of sending the _Daedalus_ to retrieve more people,” Teyla said, “Perhaps Lorne’s family will be among them.”

 

“Perhaps,” Laro agreed. “He doesn’t talk about them often, but I know the situation on Earth worries him.”

 

“As it would worry anyone,” Teyla agreed. “There are times when it is not a hardship to have little family.”

 

Laro smiled. “And yet, I am grateful to have you here.”

 

Teyla laughed. “And I am glad to have you here, too.”

 

“I have been talking to Evan about adopting a child,” Laro admitted. “Not seriously, not yet, but…”

 

“The children on the city have brought the issue to the forefront,” Teyla suggested.

 

Laro nodded. “Yes, precisely. I never thought about the possibility.”

 

“You thought you would be alone always,” Teyla suggested.

 

Laro shrugged. “I suppose so.”

 

Teyla had been among those from Earth long enough to know that there were ways to have a child that were not so simple as two people coming together. In fact, sex might not even be necessary.

 

“We are family,” Teyla said. “If you would like to have a child, I would be willing to help.”

 

It took Laro a moment, and then he smiled. “You would do that?”

 

“I would like to be a mother,” Teyla admitted. “Perhaps there is a way to fulfill both of our desires.

 

“I would have to talk to Evan,” Laro said. “We haven’t spoken seriously of the possibility, not yet, and I’m not sure that’s something he would want.”

 

Teyla hesitated for a moment. “Perhaps you should bring up adoption with Elizabeth. It’s possible that those here do not think of adoption as a possibility.”

 

Laro winced. “I always wonder if I’m doing the right thing by making suggestions to Dr. Weir.”

 

“She doesn’t mind, and your suggestions are always thoughtful,” Teyla said. “It’s entirely possible that Dr. Weir has not considered the possibility of adoption for the children we’re asked to care for. They are not used to thinking of Atlantis as home yet.”

 

“I sometimes forget that most of them hadn’t planned to stay here,” Laro admitted. “And I forget that they haven’t always been here.”

 

Teyla knew that meant he was in love, but she didn’t say as much.

 

“I think you should talk to her,” Teyla said. “I’ll go with you if you like.”

 

“I would like that,” Laro replied. “Thank you, Teyla.”

 

And the possibility of having a child was alluring to Teyla. She had thought to wait until she found someone with whom to have an intimate relationship, but she knew that day might never come. Laro’s words echoed her own desires and triggered a need.

 

Perhaps it would be better to seize her opportunity now, even if in a different way than she’d intended.

 

~~~~~

 

Barnes shifted nervously in the chair across from Evan’s desk. He was flushed, and looking anywhere but at Evan.

 

“Relax, Barnes,” Evan said. “You’re not in trouble.”

 

Barnes didn’t appear to be comforted. “Yes, sir.”

 

Evan had to admit that having Barnes _not_ in trouble made for a refreshing change. “I called you in here to see how you were doing,” Evan said. “And make sure you’re still okay with your duties.”

 

Barnes looked alarmed at that. “Am I not doing okay, sir? I don’t—I would really like to stay with the kids. I think they need me.”

 

“You’re doing great,” Evan insisted. “But a lot of people wouldn’t want to be in charge of a bunch of kids full time.”

 

Barnes shrugged. “I don’t mind, really. I like kids, and I—I miss my brothers and sister.”

 

“All right,” Evan said. “We really appreciate the fact that you’re up for the job, Corporal. If that changes, just let one of us know.”

 

Barnes breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, sir.” He hesitated. “There’s one thing.”

 

“What is it?” Evan asked.

 

“They need more space to play,” Barnes said. “And maybe a couple of balls. We can use one of the hallways if we know no one else is going to be using it.”

 

“I think we can make that work,” Evan said. “Tell you what, make a list of what you think they need, and we’ll see what we can do.”

 

Barnes nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

 

“Dismissed,” Evan said.

 

Barnes left, and Evan shook his head. He was glad they’d finally found the magic formula to get Barnes settled, since they hadn’t known what the hell they were going to do with him if he kept causing trouble.

 

Evan glanced at the clock and wondered when Sheppard would be back, and he really hoped that everything went smoothly. They needed to get Kolya, but he didn’t want anything to happen to Sheppard or his team.

 

And it was partly selfish, because Evan didn’t want to be in charge, but he also didn’t want anything to happen to them.

 

Laro knocked on the door and stuck his head inside. “Do you have a minute?”

 

“Of course,” Evan said with a smile. “Come in.”

 

The door slid shut behind Laro, and Evan raised his eyebrows. “There’s no problem,” Laro assured him. “It’s just that Teyla brought up a possibility I hadn’t thought of.”

 

Evan nodded. “Okay.”

 

“There is a tradition among the Athosians,” Laro began in that careful way he had. “When someone wants a child and cannot have one, for whatever reason, that person may adopt, or someone else in the family group will assist.”

 

Evan blinked. “You want to have a child.”

 

“I—perhaps. Someday. If that is something you would want,” Laro replied.

 

Evan leaned back in his chair. “It’s not something I’ve thought about,” he said honestly. “I mean, maybe someday.” He stopped. “I always thought that maybe when I was done on Atlantis, but that’s not going to happen.”

 

“Would you want that with me?” Laro asked uncertainly.

 

“Yes,” Evan said immediately, realizing that he did. “Of course. I just—I was always thinking someday, and that turns out to be today. Or maybe not today, but soon. How would we do it?”

 

“Adoption,” Laro suggested. “Or—Teyla offered to help. She would like to be a mother.”

 

“Oh.” Evan wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but he thought he might come around to the idea in time. And if Teyla wanted to be a mother, then they might be able to help her as well. “I’d like to think about it, but I’m not necessarily opposed to the idea.”

 

Laro smiled, brief and real. “I understand that this isn’t what you had planned, Evan, but I want to make a life with you.”

 

“Sometimes, what’s unplanned is the best possible thing,” Evan replied, coming around the desk, leaning down to press his lips to Laro’s, reluctantly breaking off the kiss a few moments later. “I have some interviews with the new personnel to go over. Talk to you later?”

 

“I will see you for dinner,” Laro promised.

 

Evan really did have a lot of interviews to go over. Stackhouse and Cadman had done a lot of the preliminary questioning, but Evan and Sheppard knew the schedule best, and they were the ones sorting through files and determining how big of a risk someone might be, as well as who they could ask to stay on the city, and who could be sent to farm.

 

He wasn’t going to kid himself. Barnes was willing to take on childcare duties, but not many would, just like not many would want to hoe beans—or whatever they ended up planting. That wasn’t why people had signed up for the SGC.

 

Evan was still sorting through a few things when O’Neill stuck his head in, and he jumped to his feet.

 

“At ease, Major,” O’Neill said. “I just thought I’d see if I could be of assistance.”

 

“If you know a way to convince a bunch of soldiers that they really want to be farmers, that would be great, sir,” Evan said. “Or if you’re really good at spotting Trust plants.”

 

O’Neill lowered himself into a chair stiffly, and Evan had to look away. He still remembered the first time he’d seen O’Neill in action; he had been something else.

 

Evan had never thought of O’Neill as old, but he did now, and that hurt.

 

“I can take a look,” O’Neill offered. “Maybe provide another set of eyes, at least.”

 

“That would be appreciated,” Evan said, suspecting that O’Neill wanted to feel needed, and Evan wanted the help.

 

They sifted through file after file, and O’Neill said, “I’ll bet you didn’t think you’d be doing this when you signed up.”

 

“No, sir,” Evan replied. “I thought it would be a little more exciting than this.”

 

“Welcome to the burdens of command,” O’Neill said wryly. “It’s a lot more boring than they make it sound.”

 

Evan shrugged. “It does have its moments.”

 

“Have you thought about getting Caldwell to help?” O’Neill asked. “He knows his people.”

 

Evan hesitated. “I realize that, but I kind of wanted to do the first round ourselves. You understand.”

 

“You don’t trust Caldwell,” O’Neill said.

 

“I don’t _not_ trust him,” Evan replied. “But Atlantis is our responsibility. I don’t want to take any chances. It was a lot easier to track people when they came in groups of four or five, instead of an entire ship’s worth.”

 

“And if we send the _Daedalus_ back to Earth, we’ll be able to bring a lot more people at once,” O’Neill replied. “We should probably set up a means of sorting through them quickly.”

 

Evan nodded. “I’m all ears.”

 

“All right, let’s sort them out as logically as we can,” O’Neill said. “Anyone with an injury, or who might not be up for manual labor in one pile, anybody who can pull a load in the other.”

 

That was an easy way to sort them quickly, and at least rule out those who wouldn’t be able to help get crops in the ground. There were about twenty who would be on the injured list for at least another couple of weeks, and half a dozen who wouldn’t be up for much for at least a month.

 

From there, they started sorting by MOS—scientists, engineers, pilots, soldiers, others—and then by gene carriers. They’d taken the precaution of bringing something harmless for people to turn on to each interview, so they knew who could use Ancient technology.

 

“We’ll need to do more in-depth interviews,” Evan said. “We need more clothing yesterday, and if any of them can sew, we could put them to work.”

 

O’Neill nodded. “Cooks and chemists, farmers and ranchers. If we could find an appropriate planet, we could get the _Daedalus_ to bring back livestock.”

 

“The mainland is probably the best option for that, sir,” Evan said, beginning to warm up to the idea. “Without a gate, they’ll be safer from the Wraith, and with the jumpers, we can make the trip fairly quickly. We did a planet-wide survey awhile back, but we didn’t really use the information. Let me pull it up.”

 

Evan had some familiarity with surveys, since he’d started out on a mining outpost. They hadn’t thought they’d need the space on the mainland, since no one but the Athosians were using it.

 

“Here,” O’Neill said, pointing at a spot on the map. “It’s within an hour by jumper, and we can clear the land if it’s suitable for farming. There’s a meadow here.”

 

“Is it big enough for livestock?” Lorne asked. “We have a lot of people to feed.”

 

O’Neill frowned. “Someone here has to have a ranching background.”

 

Evan pulled up the spreadsheet that Stackhouse had created from his interviews. “Robbins and Berne,” he said. “Although, it looks like Reeves grew up on a pig farm. He might have a few ideas.”

 

“Call them in, and get their input,” O’Neill suggested. “Having the _Daedalus_ here means we can really plan for the long haul—and we can haul people, supplies, livestock, whatever we need.”

 

Evan knew the others had the same thought, but he still said, “That sounds pretty ambitious, sir.”

 

“Think of it as a little like being Robin Hood,” O’Neill replied. “There might be others with ranching families who might not mind us poaching from them.”

 

Evan nodded. “All right. You interested in conducting a few in-depth interviews, sir? I think we need more information.”

 

“Ready, willing, and able,” O’Neill agreed. “I’m able for this much anyway.”

 

“It’s what’s in between your ears that counts, sir,” Evan replied. “That’s what my mom always said, anyway.”

 

O’Neill smiled. “Well, your mom is a smart lady.”

 

“I always thought so,” Evan replied, with a wistful smile, thinking of his mom. “I’ll set things up.”


	7. Uncertainty

_“At one point, splitting up became our only option. Jon went to Japan, to check on Miko Kusanagi’s parents, and I contacted Rose Dawson’s parents out in California. I wasn’t sure how that was going to go, but Corporal Dawson sent along a message for them, and we hit it off. Of course, that’s when things really started to heat up.”_

 

~Interview with Cameron Mitchell

 

Under other circumstances, Vala would have enjoyed the outing. The open-air market was well attended, with a variety of stalls offering many choices. She hadn’t gone shopping in so long—not that she had anything to barter. Still, there was food, cloth, carved wooden boxes and figurines, and pottery—although not as well made as what she’d seen of Laro’s on Atlantis.

 

They were looking for Kolya, though, and Vala couldn’t afford to be distracted. There was no time for shopping.

 

She had mixed feelings about this trip, as did the rest of Sheppard’s team, mostly because no one wanted a repeat of what happened the last time. That was why Vala was shadowing Sheppard, staying close to him. Ronon was nearby as well, and Teyla was just a stall or two away.

 

They were carrying zats, to be less obvious, and Vala tucked a hand through Sheppard’s arm. “I think you could let me out of your sight,” Sheppard said wryly.

 

“Not a chance,” Vala said cheerfully. “That’s what you get for getting captured.”

 

“It really wasn’t my fault,” Sheppard protested.

 

Vala shrugged. “Never the less, that’s what happens.”

 

“He’s going to see us coming a mile away,” Sheppard grumbled.

 

“No, he won’t,” Vala said. “You don’t look anything like your usual self.”

 

He was wearing leather pants, a loose shirt, and a cloak with the hood up. Vala wasn’t terribly worried about being recognized, so she wore a sleeveless shirt and let the sun warm her skin. At first glance, anyone looking at them would see a couple out for a trade deal.

 

To keep up appearances, Vala paused a couple of times to haggle, and Sheppard played the bored husband to perfection.

 

They’d been at the market for several hours now with no sign of Kolya, and Vala could tell that Sheppard was getting impatient.  
  
“Patience, John,” Vala murmured.

 

“I’d rather wait by the gate,” he replied in an undertone.

 

Vala knew he would, but she felt impelled to remind him, “There’s no cover near the gate.”

 

Sheppard grimaced. “I’m aware.”

 

Vala caught Ronon’s surreptitious hand signal, and she tugged on Sheppard’s arm. He moved with her, making it look like they were heading to another stall.

 

Teyla moved in the same direction, just inside Vala’s peripheral vision, and she thought she caught a few glimpses of the others they’d brought along. In a moment, Vala saw Kolya, too. He wasn’t wearing a Genii uniform, but was instead dressed in much the same manner Sheppard’s team was, and he had two men with him.

 

“We need to wait until they’re away from the crowd,” Vala murmured.

 

“I’m aware,” Sheppard said grimly. “Fuck.”

 

Kolya had apparently caught sight of them, because he snapped an order to the two men next to him. They darted away, but Vala didn’t care about them.

 

And then there was an explosion, and cries of pain, and Sheppard swore even more bitterly. “Shit, shit, shit. Ronon! How bad?”

 

Ronon didn’t get a chance to answer, because Kolya turned and hurled something at them. Vala had only a split second to recognize it as a grenade, and then Sheppard tackled her to the ground, yelling, “Run! Run! Everybody run!”

 

Sheppard’s body covered hers, shielding her from the explosion, and he went limp.

 

“McKay is going to kill me,” Vala muttered, pushing Sheppard’s deadweight off of her.

 

“John!” Teyla shouted.

 

Vala knelt next to him and felt for a pulse. “He’s alive, the stupid, self-sacrificing idiot.”

 

Teyla let out a relieved laugh. “Agreed.”

 

Ronon paused. “I’m going after him.”

 

“Go,” Teyla said. “Hurry.”

 

There were others bustling about them, their voices shocked, but they didn’t seem to realize that Vala and the rest of the team had been in the epicenter of destruction.

 

“We need to get him out of here,” Teyla said.

 

“I’m awake,” Sheppard muttered.

 

Vala snorted. “Good, because we weren’t going to haul your ass to the gate.”

 

“Kolya?”

 

“Ronon went after him,” Teyla said. “Come on.”

 

Between the two of them, they got Sheppard to his feet, and then one of the Marines showed up. “Hey, can I help you guys?” he asked, as though he was just a friendly stranger.

 

Vala made a note of the Marine, because she planned on recommending that he do undercover work in the future. “Thank you,” she said. “If you could help us to the gate.”

 

“Happy to,” he said, taking half of Sheppard’s weight from Teyla.

 

They limped toward the gate, with Teyla watching their backs. Ronon was waiting for them, looking seriously pissed off.

 

“No luck?” Vala asked.

 

Ronon shook his head, taking Vala’s place by Sheppard’s side. “No, but I saw the gate address.”

 

“Well done,” Teyla said warmly. “Do you think we should send medical personnel back?”

 

“Yes,” Vala said quickly. “And send one of the Athosian guides back. No one will realize that they weren’t here, and Atlantis will get good will.”

 

Ronon nodded. “Good thinking.”

 

“I can stay here,” Vala offered.

 

“I’ll stay with her,” the Marine said. “I’d like to help out.”

 

Sheppard looked woozy, but he said, “You two be careful, okay?”

 

“Just as careful as you were,” Vala said sweetly, dialing Atlantis’ address herself. “Next time, don’t get injured.”

 

Teyla and Ronon grinned at her, and Vala felt vindicated. The Marine stayed next to her, and he grinned as well. “Not many would say that to Colonel Sheppard.”

 

“There’s something to be said for being an independent operator,” Vala agreed. “What’s your name, lad?”

 

He blushed prettily, and if Vala hadn’t been very attached to Daniel, she might have done something about it. “Cole Hanson, ma’am.”

 

“Pleasure,” Vala said. “That was quick thinking back there.”

 

Hanson shrugged. “I’d like to do this again, honestly.”

 

“You have a gift,” Vala said. “Now, let’s put it to work. Can you pretend to be an interested bystander?”

 

“No problem,” Hanson said readily. “Interested and willing to help.”

 

“Then we go together, but separately,” Vala said, and Hanson nodded like he knew what she meant.

 

When they got back to the market, Hanson proved that he did know what she meant, because he stayed close to her, but didn’t indicate that he knew her. The other two Marines who had accompanied them followed the same routine.

 

Under their guise of peaceful traders, they gave what aid they could, and when medical personnel from Atlantis began arriving, they slipped away.

 

Vala sent her IDC through and was relieved to see Sheppard on his feet in the gate room. “You really ought to be in the infirmary,” Weir was saying.

 

“I’m fine.” Sheppard waved off Weir’s concern. “It was just a bump on the head.”

 

“And you’ve had so many of those, I’m beginning to wonder if you’ve suffered permanent brain damage,” Weir said with asperity.

 

“I agree.” Vala glared at him. “I am perfectly capable of diving out of the way of explosions.”

 

Sheppard shrugged unapologetically. “Reflex.”

 

“Next time, use your reflexes to protect yourself,” Vala replied.

 

He ignored her. “We need to leave immediately.”

 

“You’re not going anywhere,” Weir said, and Vala realized that this was the argument they’d been having when she stepped through the gate. “Major Lorne can go.”

 

Sheppard opened his mouth to protest, and Teyla grabbed his arm. “Come, John. Ronon and Vala can accompany Evan.”

 

Daniel came jogging into the gate room, wearing a tac vest and carrying a P-90. “I hope there’s room on the mission for me.”

 

“Of course,” Weir replied.

 

Vala smiled at him. “I’m impressed I managed to drag you away from the Ancient index.”

 

“You already got blown up once today,” Daniel said. “I’d like to be there if it happens again.”

 

Vala shrugged. “What’s a little explosion?”

 

Daniel shook his head. “Only you would ask that question.”

 

Vala was spared from having to respond by the entrance of Lorne and two others Vala didn’t recognize.

 

“All right, let’s track this bastard down,” Lorne said, all business.

 

Vala couldn’t help but share the sentiment.

 

~~~~~

 

Cam hadn’t seen the tapes that the others had made for their families, but he was moved by Corporal Dawson’s message.

 

“Hi, Mom, Dad, Joe,” she began, her eyes a little moist. “If you’re seeing this, it means that Colonel Mitchell was successful getting back to Earth, and I’m betting he’s going to be successful getting back to Atlantis. I won the lottery, which means you guys can come to me if you want. It’s pretty great here, and—Mom, I’m pregnant. I’m really sorry, but it was an accident, and the father was killed in action. I’d really like to have my family here with me.”

 

The messaged ended, and Mrs. Dawson wiped her wet cheeks. After a moment’s silence, she said, “Thank you. When we didn’t hear anything, even from the military, we didn’t know what to think.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Cam replied. “You should have received a visit, but—well, things aren’t what they used to be.”

 

Mr. Dawson cleared his throat. “It’s a little hard to believe that Rosie’s in another galaxy, Colonel Mitchell.”

 

“I understand that,” he said. “My parents had a hard time believing it, too.” He pulled out the image projector he’d used to convince his own parents. As a demonstration, it was very effective, although otherwise useless.

 

Mrs. Dawson gasped. “Is that it?”

 

“That’s it,” Cam agreed. “I won’t lie to you. It’s a long journey, and Atlantis isn’t the safest place in the galaxy, but we’re making it a home.”

 

Mr. Dawson let out a breath. “There’s no way she can come back here, is there?”

 

Cam shook his head. “Probably not. Those in senior leadership positions will definitely be targeted if they come back, but we’re not sure whether people like Rosie will face the same risks. Given Rosie’s condition, it’s not a risk we’re willing to take.”

 

“What about Joe?” Mrs. Dawson objected. “He’s got college. I want to be there for Rosie, but we have to look after our son, too.”

 

“Can we think about it?” Mr. Dawson asked Cam. “Just for a few days, anyway.”

 

Cam nodded. “Sure. I’ll give you my phone number, and you can call me. I think we’ll probably leave in a week or so.”

 

“Thank you for bringing us the message,” Mrs. Dawson said. “And if we don’t go, will you take a message from us?”

 

“Of course,” Cam replied.

 

They were a nice couple, and he didn’t blame them for hesitating to go all the way across the galaxy. Cam wondered how many they’d be able to convince to come with them, or if they’d get anybody to go.

 

He gave them the phone number for the burner phone he’d purchased, and then headed out. He’d taken the _tel’tak_ , flying low to avoid getting spotted on the radar. Cam flew north from Los Angeles, straight up the coast to Vancouver.

 

He had no idea how McKay’s sister was going to react to the news that her brother was in another galaxy, and she and her family had a one-way ticket to visit. McKay had indicated that they weren’t close, and that it had been a long time since they’d spoken, so maybe she’d be an even harder sell than the Dawsons.

 

Of course, Cam hadn’t reckoned on the Ori making a move while he was flying north.

 

By the time he found a place to land and made his way to the Millers’ house, there were people out on the street, talking excitedly. He overheard snatches of conversation, things like “alien ship,” and “military force.”

 

Cam knew it was bad. He didn’t know who had shown up, or why, but he didn’t think it was a good thing.

 

The Millers lived in a comfortable neighborhood, in a pretty little house that looked like the owners had a lot of pride in the property, and he wondered if that boded ill for his success. It was entirely possible that they wouldn’t want to leave, but he had to try.

 

He knocked on the Millers’ door. If they weren’t home, he’d come back later when they were.

 

He was a little surprised when a blonde woman opened the door, a young girl clinging to her leg. “Hello? Can I help you?”

 

“My name is Cameron Mitchell,” he replied, “and I’m a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force. I’m here with a message from your brother, Dr. Rodney McKay.”

 

“Rodney?” she asked, her eyes going wide with surprise. “Is he okay?”

 

“Yes, ma’am. Can I come in?”

 

Her gaze turned suspicious. “Why are you out of uniform? Do you have ID?”

 

Cam’s ID was back in his locker in the SGC. All he had was his dog tags, but he could have taken them off anybody. After a moment, he handed over the disc. “Watch that. I can wait on the porch, or I can come back later.”

 

Dawson’s parents had been so desperate for news of their daughter that they hadn’t hesitated to allow him to come inside—but then there had been two of them present, so that probably made a difference.

 

Mrs. Miller searched his face, and then she seemed to make a decision. “Wait here.”

 

“There’s a time stamp on the video,” Cam offered. “It’s recent.”

 

She nodded. “I’ll be back shortly.”

 

Cam sat down on the front stoop and waited, a little surprised when his phone rang. “Hello?”

 

“It’s Jon. I’m going to need you to pick me up,” he said in a low voice. “The alien invasion changes everything.”

 

“Who is it? Do we know?” Cam asked, his heart sinking. Jon was right; this was going to make things a hell of a lot harder.

 

“Best guess? Ori,” Jon replied grimly. “By the way, the Kusanagis are ardent followers. There’s a growing movement in Japan, and they’re enthusiastically welcoming our new overlords.”

 

“Fuck,” Cam said briefly.

 

Jon sighed. “Yeah, something like that. Look, the airports have been shut down, and I have no idea when they’re going to reopen. If you haven’t seen the news, the American government is already talking about new security measures to stop the alien menace. We’re looking at war on a global and intergalactic scale.”

 

“We knew the top brass were compromised by the Goa’uld, and it only makes sense that those at the top levels of our government are, too,” Cam said philosophically. “Look, I’m at the Millers’ place now. Find a place for me to land, and text the coordinates. We’ll arrange a time.”

 

“Wish we had a transporter,” Jon muttered. “How did things go with the Dawsons?”

 

“They’re thinking about it,” Cam replied. “But this might tip them over the edge.”

 

“Maybe,” Jon said. “It’s a lot to ask of somebody.”

 

Cam heard the front door opening, and he hurried to end the call. “Talk to you later?”

 

“I’ll text you,” Jon promised. “See you soon.”

 

Mrs. Miller cleared her throat. “I think you’d better come inside. Having you sitting out here is probably drawing attention.”

 

Cam ran his hand through his longer hair, feeling very unkempt with the beard. “Sorry.”

 

“Don’t be sorry,” she said, sounding like she was about ready to burst into tears. “Just come in. Can I get you anything? Tea or coffee?”

 

“I’d love some coffee, if it’s no trouble,” Cam replied.

 

“I sent Madison upstairs to play,” Mrs. Miller explained. “So we can talk.”

 

Cam nodded. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know, Mrs. Miller.”

 

“Call me Jeanie,” she replied. “I want to know if this is for real, if Meredith—if Rodney really wants me there.”

 

Cam raised his eyebrows. “Meredith?”

 

Jeanie grinned impishly. “That’s his first name. He hates it when I call him that.”

 

“He wants you there. We held a lottery, and McKay asked for you and your family,” Cam replied with assurance. “We weren’t sure how bad the situation on Earth was, and we wanted to offer people an escape route.” He hesitated, then added, “And we couldn’t evacuate the whole planet.”

 

Jeanie nodded. “Hard decision.”

 

“Very hard,” he agreed. “Rodney didn’t have to put his name in the lottery, and he wouldn’t have if he didn’t want you there.”

 

Jeanie swallowed audibly. “I have to talk to my husband. He’s working late tonight. Can I call you and let you know?”

 

“I can give you a few days, but when we need to move, we’re going to need to move fast,” Cam said. “We have to be able to get out of here, and with the newest threat, it’s going to be harder.”

 

Jeanie nodded. “I don’t know what Caleb will say, but I’ll talk to him.”

 

“I’ll give you my number,” Cam said. “And if I haven’t heard from you by the time we need to leave, I’ll call you.”

 

Jeanie nodded. “Whatever happens, whatever we decide, _thank you_. I didn’t know what had happened to him, but I wondered, you know?”

 

“I know,” Cam said. “I understand needing a few days to decide.”

 

Jeanie forced a smile. “It’s just that there’s a lot going on, and—” She paused and glanced up, and Cam knew she was thinking about her daughter. “Are there any other children on Atlantis?”

 

“There will be,” Cam said with a smile. “One of the expedition members is pregnant. And if others decide to come back with us who have kids, there will be more. It’s not going to be easy, though. I’m not going to lie to you about that.”

 

“Thank you for being honest,” Jeanie said quietly. “Do you need somewhere to stay tonight? I can probably make up the guest room.”

 

Cam shook his head. “No, I should be getting back to my parents’ house. They’ll be worried, and I—” he stopped, realizing that no matter how nice she was, she was still a stranger, and she didn’t want to hear about how he was probably never going to see his parents again once he left for Atlantis.

 

“I understand,” Jeanie said. “You want to spend as much time with them as you can.”

 

Cam wrote down his number, and programmed the Millers’ number into his phone, and Jeanie walked him to the door. “If we can do anything, even if we can’t go—”

 

“I’ll call,” Cam said, although he didn’t think he would.

 

Jeanie nodded. “We’ll be in touch either way.”

 

Cam nodded, knowing that things would probably get dicey in the next few days. He wasn’t even sure they’d get off the planet with a full-scale alien invasion, although maybe they could slip through the cracks, with everyone’s attention focused on the Ori, if that was who they were.

 

He wondered if they had any ships, and where the _Daedalus_ was. He wondered if they were going to be the witnesses to the end of the world, or at least of Earth.

 

“Good luck,” Jeanie said.

 

“You too,” Cam replied, and then left.

 

He made it back to the _tel’tak_ without any trouble, and then managed to fly low and fast from Vancouver to Kansas. He landed as close as he could to his parents’ house this time, since he knew it was safe, or had been, and walked to his folks’ house.

 

“Oh, thank God,” his mom said as soon as Cam knocked on the door. “I was worried.”

 

“I’m okay,” Cam assured her. “I got back here as soon as I could.”

 

“Sit,” she ordered. “Are you hungry?”

 

Cam smiled at the familiar question. “I could eat.”

 

She began to bustle around, and Cam watched her, knowing he wouldn’t have many other opportunities. He also knew better than to offer to help.

 

“Did you see the news?” she asked, in a deceptively casual voice, the same tone she’d used when he was a boy, and she’d known he’d done something wrong and was waiting for him to ‘fess up.

 

Cam nodded. “I heard a bit of it. Jon called. Dr. Kusanagi’s parents are Ori devotees now. I need to pick him up, since it’s not like he can fly back.”

 

“All the airports are closed,” his mom said. “They’re talking about shutting down the major highways, too, and investigating anyone who might have contact with the Ori, or be sympathetic to Origin. They’re talking about detaining anyone who might be sympathetic to alien influences.”

 

Cam didn’t like the sound of that. “You guys—”

 

“We weren’t going to go with you, but if there’s room, we will,” his mom said more calmly than he’d have thought possible. “Ash, too. I know that wasn’t part of your plan, and we don’t want to be a burden, but we’d go.”

 

“We’ll make it work,” Cam said impulsively. “Jon already said that if we had a chance to get you out, we should.”

 

And suddenly it hit him, what the plan had been all along. The Goa’uld would consolidate leadership, so that they controlled those in charge, and then, when the Ori came, they’d use it as a way to unite people, to give them a common enemy, and to reassure them that the freedoms they gave up wouldn’t be in vain.

 

It was brilliant, and devious, and the worst part was that it would probably work. Plenty of people would accept the limitations on their liberty because of the alien threat, and the few who protested would be quietly hushed, or would disappear, until no one dared to protest.

 

“I think we have to get out now,” his mom said evenly. “Or we might not be able to go. You know your father, and Ash. They won’t take this sort of thing lying down.”

 

Cam nodded. “Is Dad on board?”

 

“He will be,” his mom said grimly. “Mostly, he doesn’t think he’ll be useful where you are, and I’m a little worried about that myself.”

 

“We need everybody,” Cam said earnestly, remembering what Sheppard and Vala had told him months ago, when he’d been feeling sorry for himself. “At least, that’s what they told me.” He lifted his useless hand. “I was told that we don’t leave the battlefield behind, even when we’re injured. It’s not what I would have chosen, but it doesn’t seem like we had a choice.”

 

His mom nodded. “Ash is collecting Sarah and the kids. They’ll come up by the back roads. What do we need?”

 

“Money isn’t going to help us,” Cam said. “We’ve got no use for it. But small, portable items are good. They don’t have much use for gold, but it could prove useful. Coffee is always good, and chocolate. Those things were in short supply. I’d say go to Wal-Mart, but I’m guessing there’s probably going to be a run on those sorts of things.”

 

“You leave that to me,” his mom replied with cheerful determination. “You’ve never gone shopping with me on Black Friday.”

 

Cam laughed, and felt a small stirring of hope.

 

~~~~~

 

Daniel hadn’t exactly forgotten what it was like to carry a pack and a P-90, but he’d never been on six different planets on the same day, trying to track down a murderer, either.

 

He was tired, and he wanted nothing more than to put everything down and rest, but they were still tracking Kolya. He had no idea how successful they had been, but he guessed not very. They could only pull the last fifty addresses or so from the DHD, and so there were a hundred combinations, a thousand planets Kolya could be on.

 

They could search forever and never find him, no matter how much they wanted to. Daniel hated that fact; he knew what capturing Kolya would mean.

 

It would be a much-needed boost in morale, a reminder that they could find the bad guy and stop him, even if they couldn’t do much else.

 

“I think we’re going to have to call it quits,” Lorne said after the eighth planet. “We’ve pulled all the DHD addresses, so maybe when we sort through them and compare them to the information we have, we’ll get a hit. Right now, though…”

 

He trailed off, but Daniel knew what he was getting at. Right now, they were looking for a needle in a galactic haystack.

 

Vala went to dial the gate, which whooshed to life before she could get past the first couple of symbols.

 

“Move!” Lorne shouted, although they were already moving. “Get to cover!”

 

“Cover” around the gate was nonexistent, although there were at least some low bushes behind the gate that they could use. Years of practice had Daniel flat on the ground, wiggling around to ensure he was as camouflaged as possible. A quick check showed that everyone else had done the same.

 

When the gate closed, Daniel could just make out the new visitors, and he heard a nearly silent breath from Lorne right next to him. On his other side, Vala breathed, “Genii.”

 

“Kolya,” Lorne murmured on a sigh.

 

Kolya was surrounded by ten men, all of them dressed in Genii uniforms, all of them armed with what looked like a mixture of projectile and energy weapons. Daniel knew they didn’t have a clear shot, and without any kind of cover, they risked being killed if they attacked.

 

After a long moment, Kolya and his men set off in the opposite direction from where Daniel and the others were hiding, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Once they were certain Kolya and his men would be out of earshot, Lorne said quietly, “Ronon, you and I are going to find out where they’re going. Recon _only_. Daniel, Vala, go back to Atlantis and bring reinforcements. Set up around the gate. The rest of you, stay hidden and keep watch. If they give us the slip, try to get the gate address.”

 

Vala made a noise of protest, but Lorne shook his head. “I know, but there are enough Genii that we don’t want to risk all of us being killed.”

 

Daniel touched her hand. “Come on, Vala. Let’s go. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back.”

 

Jack was waiting for them when they stepped through the gate. “Where are the others?” he asked immediately.

 

Daniel let his P-90 hang from the clip. “Investigating. Kolya and ten others came through the gate on the last world we were on. We have no idea how many of them there are. Ronon and Major Lorne are doing recon, and the others are guarding the gate.”

 

Jack nodded and tapped his radio. “Reeves, round up a couple of dozen Marines. We’ve got a bead on Kolya.”

 

Sheppard jogged into the gate room with Teyla. “I’m going,” he said.

 

Jack raised his eyebrows, and Daniel knew that look. “Lorne and Reeves are going,” he replied.

 

“There are plenty of people who can replace me,” Sheppard argued.

 

“And you weren’t here when Kolya grabbed you,” Jack snapped. “The city likes you best, and the rules are there for a reason.”

 

Sheppard glared at Jack, caught in a standoff as the Marines filed in behind Reeves.

 

Maybe it made him a terrible person, but Daniel kind of wished he had popcorn. Not many would win in a staring contest against Jack.

 

All of a sudden, Sheppard deflated. “Yes, sir.”

 

“I’m not trying to pull rank on you,” Jack said softly. “But I also think it’s a bad idea to go off half-cocked in an attempt to get revenge.”

 

Sheppard rubbed his forehead. “Yeah, I know. I just—”

 

“I hear you,” Jack said. “Danny, you going back out?”

 

“If Vala is,” Daniel said stoutly.

 

“Be careful,” Jack advised.

 

As they waited for the rest of the Marines to arrive, Daniel and Vala each ate a power bar and drank a bottle of water. Reeves arrived as they were finishing up.

 

Daniel pushed aside his weariness, and steeled himself for a fight.

 

When they walked through the gate again, Lorne was waiting. “I’ve got good news, and bad news,” he announced.

 

“What’s the good news, sir?” Reeves asked.

 

“We found Kolya’s lair,” Lorne replied. “The bad news is that he’s in a fortified bunker, and we’ve got no way inside.”

 

Daniel hesitated, then said, “We could knock.”

 

Lorne grinned briefly. “We could, but that would mean we lose the element of surprise.”

 

“So, what, we’re just going to stake it out?” Reeves asked.

 

“Exactly,” Lorne replied. “We’ll take shifts. If they do come out, it gives us the chance to pick them off without risking ourselves.”

 

Daniel felt something of a letdown, although he suspected that Sheppard wouldn’t mind this turn of events, since it would still give him the chance to kill Kolya himself.

 

“Reeves, I’m leaving you in charge right now. You’ll be relieved in eight hours,” Lorne ordered. “Dial home if something big happens.”

 

“Yes, sir,” Reeves said.

 

Daniel sighed. “Well, that was rather anticlimactic.”

 

“Better disappointed than dead,” Vala said philosophically.

 

Daniel certainly couldn’t argue with that.

 

~~~~~

 

Jack didn’t particularly _like_ pulling rank on people, especially on someone who was in charge of Atlantis. Sheppard could have called his bluff, since Jack had no authority to order him to stay. Weir did have the authority, but she hadn’t been there. She was closeted in a meeting with Beckett, Lam, and some of the chemists.

 

There were a lot of irons in the fire right now, so many that Jack wasn’t sure he knew how many there were.

 

Jack didn’t try to chase Sheppard out of the gate room, although they didn’t have to wait long before Daniel, Vala, Lorne, and the original complement of Marines came through the gate.

 

“That didn’t take long,” Sheppard said. “What happened? Where’s Kolya?”

 

“There’s a bunker,” Lorne said wearily. “Reeves is sitting on it, and we’re going to relieve him in eight hours. When they poke their heads out, we’ll pick them off.”

 

Jack nodded. “Then maybe you should both get some sleep, so you can relieve Reeves in eight hours.”

 

Sheppard gave him a look. “Are you managing me, sir?”

 

“I’m telling you that pacing the gate room isn’t going to do you any good,” Jack replied. “No matter how much you might like to.”

 

Sheppard gave a tight nod and turned on his heel, stalking out of the gate room.

 

Teyla shrugged. “He is understandably concerned about catching Kolya,” she said apologetically.

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Jack replied. “I’ve been there.”

 

 He went off to find Sam, locating her in the lab, where she had something in pieces in front of her, with McKay and Zelenka in mid-argument.

 

“What’s up?” Jack asked.

 

“McKay thinks we’re going to have a problem coming up with materials to fix the _Daedalus_ ,” Sam said briefly.

 

McKay snorted. “That’s because we _are_ going to have a problem. It’s not like we have a bunch of sheet metal or raw steel lying around.”

 

“What about the ship that Sam and the rest of SG-1 flew in on?” Jack asked. “Has that been cannibalized for parts yet?”

 

Sam actually smacked herself on the forehead, and Zelenka said something in Czech that was probably profane, even if Jack couldn’t understand it.

 

“Why didn’t we think about that?” McKay demanded, throwing up his hands in disgust. “No, seriously, why didn’t we think about that?”

 

“Because I was trying to repress that planet?” Sam suggested. “And because none of us really want to risk getting bitten the way Cam did?”

 

“ _Ano_ ,” Zelenka said. “But that will not solve our supply problem in the long term. If we had the raw material, I believe Atlantis might be able to create what we need, but we do not.”

 

Jack nodded. “But you can’t make something out of nothing.”

 

“Pretty much,” McKay replied, an unhappy slant to his mouth. “I mean, we’ve got the plans the Ancients used to make their ships, but we can’t exactly do anything about it.”

 

“One thing at a time,” Jack advised. “And right now, it’s well past the dinner hour, and all good scientists should be in bed.”

 

McKay frowned. “Wait a second, where is Sheppard?”

 

“I assume he’s in his quarters,” Jack replied. “Or getting food. Reeves and his men are sitting on Kolya’s position. I advised him to get some sleep.”

 

McKay nodded. “I’ll go back out with him tomorrow. Call me if you need anything.”

 

Zelenka said something about a chess match, leaving Jack alone with Sam.

 

“Hi,” he said with a grin.

 

She returned his smile. “Hi yourself.”

 

“How’s it going?” Jack asked.

 

Sam shrugged. “Well, we think we’ve solved the delivery problem with the Wraith poison, but we’re still in the testing phase to make sure it’s not harmful to anything else. We’re working on coming up with a way to repair the _Daedalus_ , as you heard.” She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. “And we’re still facing critical shortages that are even more critical with the additional personnel.”

 

“We’ll figure it out,” Jack promised. “Don’t we always?”

 

“Usually,” Sam agreed. “I think I need to grab a sandwich, and then call it a night.”

 

“I’ll keep you company,” Jack offered.

 

He was glad they’d had their day on the beach recently, in spite of missing Caldwell’s arrival. Although he still wished he could take her out to dinner, maybe get a drink.

 

“I’ve got some of the _ruus_ wine,” Sam said, as though she’d read his mind.

 

Jack hated to admit it, but a drink or two helped him sleep a lot better now that he was off any kind of painkillers in an effort to conserve their supplies.

 

“That would be good.”

 

They ate their sandwiches out on the balcony, staring up at the stars, sipping wine. “I never thought we’d end up here,” Sam said quietly.

 

“We could get married,” Jack said suddenly.

 

Sam turned to look at him in surprised. “What?”

 

“It probably wouldn’t be the wedding you dreamed of, obviously, and I get that this is terrible timing, and I don’t have a ring or anything, but—” he stopped, because he was babbling, and Sam was staring at him in disbelief. “Or we could forget I ever said anything.”

 

“Don’t you dare,” Sam said fiercely. “Do you mean it?”

 

“There’s no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with,” Jack said simply. “I just wish I’d gotten my act together sooner.”

 

Sam smiled and shook her head, her eyes a little moist. “No, right now is good. Right now is perfect. Yes, by the way. The answer is yes.”

 

“Okay,” Jack replied, rubbing his hands on his pants, and then he reached for her. She came willingly, straddling him, kissing him slow and deep and dirty. “Okay,” Jack repeated, and thought that it really was.

 

~~~~~

 

“You’re humming,” McKay said accusingly.

 

Sam froze. “What?”

 

“You. You’re humming,” he repeated. “What happened last night?”

 

Sam hesitated. She didn’t have a ring, so there was nothing outwardly different about her, other than the humming, and she didn’t know how public they were going to be, but—“Jack asked me to marry him.”

 

McKay blinked a couple of times, and then he grinned. “That’s great! That’s great, right? You’re happy?”

 

“Yes, I’m happy,” Sam replied. “Very happy. I’m just not sure if we’re telling everybody yet, and I haven’t said anything, so—”

 

McKay mimed zipping his lips. “Your secret is safe.”

 

“Thanks,” Sam replied. “But what about you? I thought you were going with Sheppard.”

 

McKay glanced at the clock. “I am, but we’re not due to leave for another three hours. Elizabeth flipped a coin to decide who got to relieve Reeves first.”

 

“I thought Colonel Sheppard would have insisted,” Sam said.

 

“Oh, he tried,” McKay said. “There was a lot of arguing. But Elizabeth wasn’t convinced that he shouldn’t be on medical leave for another day, so this was the best she would offer him.”

 

Sam chuckled. “He sounds like Jack.”

 

“Worse,” McKay muttered darkly. “I’m pretty sure he could be _bleeding to death_ and still insist that he was fine.”

 

“Which is why you go out with him,” Sam said knowingly.

 

McKay shrugged. “Someone has to pull his ass out of the fire. And when I can’t go, the others take care of them for me.”

 

“Vala is good at watching people’s backs,” Sam said.

 

“So are Teyla and Ronon,” McKay replied. “And it’s better now that you’re here, since Elizabeth wouldn’t let us go out together after—you know.”

 

Sam nodded. “Makes sense.”

 

“Which is why we agreed to it,” McKay said. “But no offense, in some ways it’s harder with more people here, because John keeps thinking of himself as expendable.”

 

“He’s Atlantis’ favorite,” Sam said.

 

“You know that, and I know that, but John’s an idiot sometimes,” McKay replied.

 

Sam couldn’t resist the urge to tease him. “Takes one to know one.”

 

McKay rolled his eyes. “Haha, very funny, you should take the show on the road.”

 

Sam grinned. “I really should.”

 

“I need to go,” McKay said. “I’d recommend talking to Dr. Novak about the systems on the _Daedalus_ if Cadman has cleared her.”

 

Sam nodded. “I’m aware. I’ll check with Laura, and then see what happens.”

 

When she poked her head into the office that Cadman usually shared with a couple of other officers, Cadman smiled. “Hi, Colonel Carter. What can I do for you?”

 

“Is Dr. Novak in the clear?” Sam asked. “We’re trying to put the _Daedalus_ back together.”

 

Cadman nodded. “Quite honestly, ma’am, I don’t think Dr. Novak could lie if her life depended on it, and last I heard, Goa’uld plants don’t get the hiccups every time they get nervous.”

 

Sam chuckled. “No, I think that’s clear. How’s the rest of the crew coming?”

 

“We’re getting through them,” Cadman said. “But they’re getting restless. We’ve put them all together, in an area of the city we don’t think they can damage too much, but that’s not going to last forever.”

 

“We’re going to get them taken care of,” Sam promised.

 

Cadman nodded. “I know, but—I can’t help but feel that, if I miss something, whatever happens is going to be my fault.”

 

“No, whatever happens is going to be the fault of the thing that caused it,” Sam said quietly. “You can’t blame yourself, anymore than I can blame Jack that we got stuck in a Goa’uld prison for a couple of weeks, or what happened to us there. There’s only so much we can control, and the bad guys aren’t part of that.”

 

Cadman nodded. “I know. I do know.  It’s just hard to believe sometimes.”

 

“I hear you,” Sam replied. “But when you’re reasonably sure, release them, and let us know, okay?”

 

Cadman nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

 

That job done, Sam went to find Dr. Novak, which was a little harder than it usually would be, since those from the _Daedalus_ hadn’t been issued radios yet.

 

She went to the area of the city where the _Daedalus_ crew had been assigned quarters, which she knew were fairly makeshift. They’d raided the ship for mattresses and other things, and those on the _Daedalus_ at least had more than some of the others did upon arriving in Atlantis.

 

There weren’t any guards on that area of the city that Sam could see, although she knew the crew had been discouraged from wandering freely.

 

She found Caldwell first, and he greeted her warmly, looking better rested than the last time Sam had seen him. “Colonel Carter, what can I help you with?” he asked.

 

“I’m looking for Dr. Novak,” she replied. “We could use her help putting the _Daedalus_ back together.”

 

“I’m sure she’d be happy to assist,” he replied. “Let me find her.”

 

Sam took the offer as what it was, a request to stay where she was, and she respected that he wanted to take point on this. They were still his people, and he was responsible for them.

 

Caldwell returned a few minutes later with a blonde woman in tow. “Colonel Carter?” she asked. “It’s so nice to meet you.” She hiccupped, and Sam remembered what Cadman had said.

 

“Same here,” Sam replied. “Do you want to help me fix the _Daedalus_?”

 

Novak nodded enthusiastically. “I do. Yes.” She hiccupped again. “Absolutely.”

 

“All right, then,” Sam said. “Let’s get it done.”


	8. Retribution

_“I didn’t necessarily_ want _to authorize killing Kolya, but there didn’t seem to be another option. He was going to keep killing those we formed alliances with, and I knew that it would be a lot harder to form friendships if we couldn’t promise some kind of protection. Plus, after what they did to John, we knew he would keep coming after us. It was a hard decision, but it didn’t seem like we had another choice. Atlantis was full of hard choices.”_

 

~Interview with Elizabeth Weir

 

John took a swig from his canteen and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “How long do you think they can stay in there?”

 

“If they are well stocked?” Teyla asked. “Days, weeks, perhaps even months. They will try to wait us out.”

 

“They don’t know we’re out here,” John objected. He frowned. “Wait, do they know we’re out here?”

 

“I don’t know how they’d know,” Teyla said. “We’ve given no sign.”

 

John frowned. “All right, that’s not good. They might have something set up to monitor activity outside the bunker.” He sat back, thinking for a moment. They couldn’t keep up the siege forever, and John was suspicious of the fact that no one had emerged yet.

 

“Call everyone back,” John said. “We’re going to try something.”

 

“What are you going to do?” Teyla asked suspiciously.

 

John grinned recklessly, knowing that it probably wouldn’t set her mind at ease. “I’m going to flush Kolya out once and for all, and then I’m going to end this fucking war.”

 

They had to end the stalemate somehow, and John had an insane plan, but he was going ahead with it. “Call them back and regroup around the gate,” John ordered. “I’ll stay behind.”

 

“John, what are you doing?” Rodney demanded.

 

John sighed. “They know we’re here, so we have to convince them that we’re not somehow. That involves leaving.”

 

“I’m not leaving you,” Rodney objected.

 

“None of us are leaving you,” Teyla agreed. “There are other ways to convince Kolya to come out.”

 

John knew when he wasn’t going to win an argument, and he liked to believe he could give in gracefully. “All right. Teyla, Rodney, find a hiding place. Ronon, you’re with me.”

 

They waited until the others were gone, and then Ronon followed John away from the bunker, around the back.

 

“There,” John said, seeing what he expected. The air on the planet was cold, and there was a bit of steam coming from what looked like a vent in the ground.

 

Ronon grinned. “You think they’ll try to sneak around the back.”

 

“I know they will,” John said.

 

They faded into the brush, settling down to wait. Sure enough, in another couple of hours, Genii started crawling out from a trapdoor in the forest floor.

 

John shook his head, knowing that Ronon could see him, wanting to signal him that Kolya hadn’t appeared yet.  The Marines would guard the gate, and Teyla and Rodney would follow the rest of the Genii to make sure no one escaped. John wanted Kolya, and he was going to get him if it was the last thing he did.

 

Eventually, Kolya stepped out, and called, “Sheppard! I know you’re there.”

 

John cursed silently, wondering if he should kill Kolya right then. He could. He could just take aim and pull the trigger.

 

“What will you do, Sheppard?” Kolya demanded, raising his hands to show that he was unarmed. “Will you kill me?”

 

John’s finger tightened around the trigger, and he remembered what it had been like, to have a Wraith draining him, with Kolya watching gleefully.

 

He could kill Kolya now, where he stood; he had reason enough to do it.

 

John still couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger, not on an unarmed man.

 

“I didn’t think you could do it,” Kolya said with a sneer. “Next time—next time, I’ll go after McKay. I know he’s soft. I’ll take him apart piece by piece, and he’ll give me everything I ask for.”

 

And John didn’t think about it; he pulled the trigger, and half of Kolya’s head exploded.

 

There were others who came out of the trapdoor, and John shot them, too. He had no idea how he felt, or _what_ he felt, but he knew that he was done with this; he was done with letting Kolya play games with him, and with his life.

 

In the end, John and Ronon killed half a dozen Genii, and then headed for the gate to make sure the others were okay.

 

Rodney came to meet him, looking him up and down quickly. “Are you okay? You’re okay, right?”

 

“I’m fine,” John assured him, pushing down his emotions. “Kolya’s dead. You?”

 

“We took out the other Genii as they approached the gate,” Rodney replied. “We’re fine.”

 

Rodney didn’t even bat an eyelash at the explanation, and John wondered what that meant, that Rodney didn’t care that a bunch of people were dead.

 

Granted, they were a bunch of people who would have been happy to destroy Atlantis, but still.

 

“I know that I’m probably not supposed to ask you this, but how do _you_ feel?” Rodney asked.

 

“I have no idea,” John admitted, rubbing his forehead. “Ask me when we’re back on the city.”

 

Rodney nodded. “Sure.”

 

“Is that it?” John asked, exhaustion hitting him all at once.

 

“I think we can let Evan take care of cleanup,” Teyla said. “I’ll talk to him. You should get some rest.”

 

John rubbed his eyes. “I don’t want to leave this to Lorne.”

 

“You don’t have a choice,” Ronon replied, putting a hand on the back of John’s neck, squeezing in a warning way. “You did what you came to do.”

 

“For once, Ronon and I agree,” Rodney said. “So, back to Atlantis!”

 

John didn’t have the strength to argue. “Yeah, okay.”

 

Rodney gave him a worried look, but he didn’t say anything else, instead sending through his IDC and ushering John through. John let Rodney have his way, grateful to let someone else take charge for once.

 

John must have looked terrible because Elizabeth took one look at him and said, “Infirmary. The debriefing can wait until tomorrow.”

 

“I’ll give her the basics,” Ronon said, giving John a nudge towards the door.

 

Rodney didn’t let go of John’s arm the entire way to the infirmary. “I’m not going to break,” John said sourly.

 

“Shut up,” Rodney said fiercely. “I’m allowed to be worried.”

 

John let it go, heading for the infirmary, because he knew that it was just one more hurdle between him and his bed.

 

Lam was the one to look him over. “How do you feel?” she asked.

 

John summoned up the dredges of his humor. “You know, McKay asked me the same thing.”

 

“Oh?” she said, looking in his ears. “And what did you say?”

 

“Ask me later.”

 

That had her cracking a smile. “I think I’d like you to see Dr. Heightmeyer, Colonel.”

 

John grimaced, thinking of his missed appointment. The hunt for Kolya had taken precedence. “What if I said no?”

 

“Well, I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I suppose Dr. Weir could ground you, but I don’t know that she would. Or, you know, you could just go, jump through the hoop, and maybe get something out of it.”

 

John smirked. “You’re good at this.”

 

“Well, I’m used to dealing with SGC personnel,” she admitted. “I’m going to make it a suggestion, rather than an order, but if you don’t go, I will bug you about it every time I see you.”

 

“I could avoid the infirmary,” John suggested.

 

Lam gave him a patently insincere smile. “You underestimate my ability at showing up wherever you are.”

 

John sighed. “I’ll go.”

 

If he was being honest, John didn’t mind the idea of seeing Kate, but he wasn’t going to admit that out loud.

 

“Good,” Lam said. “But for now, go get some sleep. Do you need something to help?”

 

John hesitated. Normally, he wouldn’t take anything that would dull his senses, and he knew that Lorne would be off the city for a while, so he probably should be sharp.

 

“Right,” Lam said. “At least let me give you a vitamin shot. I think you might be deficient.”

 

John shrugged. “Yeah, if you think I need it.”

 

He probably should have been suspicious when Lam went over to have a word with Rodney, but he was too tired to take much notice.

 

John started feeling woozy halfway to Rodney’s quarters, and Rodney put an arm around John’s waist as he swayed. “You okay?”

 

It took him a second, but John finally put the pieces together. “Lam didn’t give me a vitamin shot.”

 

“I’m sure there were vitamins involved,” Rodney replied defensively. “Are you tired?”

 

“I’m going to pass out,” John replied, his voice fainter than he would have liked. “Fuck. What did she give me?”

 

“I may have mentioned that you’d been having nightmares, and hadn’t been sleeping,” Rodney admitted, helping John into Rodney’s quarters and dumping John onto their bed.

 

“Fuck,” John said, his lips feeling numb. “You asshole.”

 

“You haven’t slept since Kolya grabbed you, _asshole_ , not without getting drunk,” Rodney snapped. “I didn’t know what Lam would do. I just answered her questions.”

 

The room was starting to go fuzzy. “I’m sorry. I just, I don’t get what I’m supposed to do.”

 

“You’re supposed to sleep,” Rodney replied. “That’s it. If there’s anything else, you can make your request, and I’ll deal with it”

 

John’s head dropped down onto the bed. “Yeah, okay.”

 

And that was the last thing John remembered. When he woke up, the sunlight slanting into the room told John that it was late afternoon, and he had to assume it was the next day, which meant that John had slept for nearly eighteen hours. Rodney was nowhere to be seen.

 

He wandered out to the balcony, still feeling dazed from sleep and whatever Lam had given him.

 

John still had no idea how he was supposed to feel about Kolya, but the night had given him an opportunity to get some distance. Rodney had been right—he really _hadn’t_ been sleeping well. Some nights, he hadn’t slept at all, and he’d been running on fumes.

 

The door slid open, and Rodney walked in juggling a couple of trays. “Oh, good, you’re awake,” he said. “I wasn’t sure you would be. Are you hungry?”

 

“Starving,” John said. “Thanks for this. You didn’t have to.”

 

Rodney shrugged off his gratitude. “You’d do the same for me.”

 

“I would,” John admitted. “Still. Thanks.”

 

“I’m just glad you slept last night,” Rodney admitted. “We’re supposed to meet with Elizabeth as soon as you’re ready.”

 

John swallowed, thinking about pulling the trigger. It had been easier than he would have liked.

 

“Kolya needed killing,” Rodney said shortly. “I know it’s easier said than done, but you shouldn’t lose sleep over it. If you need confirmation, just think of Keras.”

 

“I don’t ever want to get to a place where killing someone is easy,” John admitted. “I know I’ve done it, but I feel like…”

 

“Kolya left behind a lot of dead bodies,” Rodney said. “I made an appointment for you to see Heightmeyer. She can fit you in tomorrow.”

 

John remembered that conversation with Lam. “I promise, I’ll go.”

 

Rodney nodded. “Good. Eat up, and then we can talk to Elizabeth.”’

 

“You sure we don’t have time for anything else?” John asked with a leer.

 

Rodney grinned. “Eat fast, and then we’ll see.”

 

~~~~~

 

Elizabeth glanced at the clock. She hadn’t heard anything from Rodney, so she assumed that John was still sleeping. It was probably for the best; from what Lam had said, John wasn’t in the best shape, either physically or mentally.

 

“All right, situation reports,” Elizabeth said. “How are we doing?”

 

Stackhouse looked glum when all eyes turned to him. “With the stores from the _Daedalus_ , we have a little wiggle room.” He glanced over at Caldwell, who hitched a shoulder.

 

“We did our best to lay in as many supplies as we could,” Caldwell said. “Obviously, we wish we could have brought more.”

 

“It’s enough that you arrived with your lives,” Elizabeth said reassuringly. “Carson?”

 

“At the moment, we’re still running low on certain critical supplies,” he admitted. “We’re doing better with painkillers, but we need to find another source soon.”

 

Daniel cleared his throat. “I’ve been looking through the index for information on what the Ancients used for drugs. So far, I’ve only been moderately successful.”

 

“I believe Dr. Anson has had some success with Athosian remedies,” Teyla said.

 

Carson nodded. “We also need antibiotics, rather badly, and those aren’t so easy to get.”

 

Elizabeth winced. “That’s not good.”

 

“Our supply isn’t critical, not yet,” Carson added, “but it should be a top priority.”

 

“It will be,” Elizabeth agreed. “Sam?”

 

“Energy output is good,” Sam said. “We’re still finding systems that have started up after putting the last ZPM in, but they’ve all been pleasant surprises so far. The good news is that there are safety systems that have also snapped into place.”

 

Elizabeth frowned. “It took another ZPM to get the safety systems online? That seems unwise.”

 

Sam shrugged. “Well, when you think about it, the Ancients grew up using technology requiring the ATA gene. It’s reasonable to assume that safety requirements weren’t necessary for the most part.” When half the people around the table scoffed, Sam added, “Or they were beyond stupid. Also a possibility.”

 

That got a laugh from everyone around the table, especially from those who had been on Atlantis long enough to experience the Ancients’ brand of carelessness—or whatever it was.

 

“That’s something of a relief,” Elizabeth replied. “Anything else?”

 

“Things seem to be settling down,” O’Neill offered. “The gene carriers are adjusting to having Atlantis in the back of their minds, and no one has reported any problems with it.”

 

Elizabeth worried about that, actually. Even though most of the gene carriers seemed to be okay with it, she wondered if that would result in those who had a real problem being reluctant to seek help if they needed it.

 

“Let the gene carriers know that if they’re having trouble, they should alert us,” Elizabeth said, knowing that it would mean more coming from O’Neill. “Tell them letting us know that they’re having problems may result in being able to help others.”

 

That position may allow anyone struggling to come forward while saving face.

 

O’Neill nodded. “I’ll pass the word.”

 

Elizabeth knew O’Neill regularly did the rounds on Atlantis, so she took him at his word. “Very good. Anyone else?”

 

Carson cleared his throat. “We’ve reached a point with the Wraith poison where we’re going to have to test it on an actual Wraith at some point. We know it doesn’t hurt plant matter, nor does it affect the mice we tested.”

 

“Aside from finding a Wraith to test it on, my suggestion is to try it on the Iratus bugs,” Carson added.

 

“I don’t like the sound of that,” John said as he entered the room, Rodney on his heels. “If I never see another one of those things again, it will be too soon.”

 

“I don’t blame you, Colonel,” Carson replied. “But we need to find out whether it works, and that’s the next step.”

 

O’Neill glanced at Sheppard. “You don’t have to go, Sheppard. We can send someone else.”

 

“I’m not asking anyone to do what I won’t,” John replied heatedly.

 

Carson shook his head. “I’m afraid I _can’t_ let you go, Colonel. If you were to be bitten again, we aren’t sure what it would do to you with the retrovirus in your system. It could be very bad.”

 

“Then you won’t be going,” Elizabeth said definitively.

 

John didn’t look happy, but he didn’t argue, and Elizabeth really hoped that he was warming up to the idea that he was not expendable. “I don’t think anybody else is going to be happy about going,” he finally said.

 

“We’ll ask for volunteers,” O’Neill suggested. “If we don’t get any, we’ll take another tack, but no one goes who isn’t up for it.”

 

Elizabeth nodded. “That’s fair. I don’t think we’ll have a shortage of people. Stackhouse, what’s the word on the other supplies?”

 

“We’ve got rosters made up for hunters, and we’re working on rosters for those who might be able to put some crops in,” Stackhouse replied.

 

“I’ve approached some of my people about that,” Caldwell said. “They’re willing to do whatever it takes to help out, Dr. Weir. They’re good people.”

 

“I know they are, Stephen,” Elizabeth replied. “I would expect nothing less.”

 

“I think we’ve finished up with our review,” John said. “We have no proof that Gupta had help. Cadman believes that he acted alone, but she’s not sure of it.”

 

Elizabeth frowned. “How sure is she?”

 

John shrugged. “She said 90%. She doesn’t want to risk making a mistake.”

 

“No one will blame her if someone slipped through the cracks,” O’Neill said. “We can only do the best we can.”

 

“If that’s all, we can adjourn,” Elizabeth said.

 

The others filed out of the room, but Caldwell stayed behind. “I’d like to talk to you about Gupta, and the rest of my crew,” he said. “As you know, most of them don’t have the gene. It was part of the reason they weren’t stationed on Atlantis.”

 

“I’m aware,” Elizabeth said.

 

“I’ve talked to most of them,” Caldwell said. “Farming isn’t exactly their first choice, but they’re willing to do whatever it takes to make this mission a success.”

 

Elizabeth appreciated what he was saying, but she wasn’t about to relegate those without the gene to farming, if that wasn’t what they wanted. “Even without the gene, we could use them for away missions,” she suggested. “And we’re working out a schedule that we hope will be fair to everyone.”

 

Caldwell smiled briefly. “And we all know that, Elizabeth, but the fact of the matter is, until you need a crew for the _Daedalus_ again, we’re so much dead weight.”

 

“I wouldn’t have put it that way,” Elizabeth hedged.

 

“That’s why you’re the diplomat,” Caldwell replied with a rueful smile. “Honest question: will you need the _Daedalus_ again?”

 

Elizabeth knew that, in a way, Caldwell was asking if they would need _him_ , and she could appreciate the fact that he might be feeling useless. They had a well-established chain of command on the city that didn’t include him, and he had no real role.

 

He was a ship’s captain without a functioning ship, and he was a pilot, not a commando, a leader who would probably be ill-suited to lead a gate team, although she had no doubt that he would be capable.

 

But that left him in limbo, even more so than his crew.

 

“I can’t make any promises,” Elizabeth cautioned him. “We’re going to try to fix the _Daedalus_ , but Colonel Carter is still uncertain whether it will be possible.”

 

“I understand,” he said evenly, his clenched fists the only sign of his disappointment.

 

“But, I believe we _will_ need it, and John and the rest of the command staff agree,” she continued. “Once we know more about what’s happening on earth, we may need to send you to retrieve supplies, or even people.”

 

A smile touched his lips. “You’re suggesting we turn to pirating?”

 

“If that’s what it takes to fight back against the Goa’uld, yes,” she replied. “Without hesitation.”

 

Caldwell nodded. “Then I’d be happy to do whatever it takes.”

 

“Good.” She sighed. “Now, about Gupta.”

 

His expression turned tight. “You saved the worst for last.”

 

Elizabeth nodded. “Let me call Dr. Lam. She should be here for this.”

 

She called Lam in, and then asked if Caldwell wanted a drink.

 

“Do I need one?” he asked wryly.

 

Elizabeth didn’t reply, instead pouring them both a drink, and Caldwell raised it in a salute.

 

Lam arrived a few minutes later, and when she saw the jug of _ruus_ wine, she said, “Can I get a glass of that? I’m technically off duty now.”

 

Elizabeth poured her a glass as well. “We were talking about Gupta.”

 

“Ah,” Lam said. “Yes, I think that does call for a drink.”

 

“How bad?” Caldwell asked quietly.

 

Lam shook her head. “We aren’t sure. I’m sorry, Colonel, but we just don’t have the same resources here that we did on Earth, at least where it concerns the Goa’uld, and removing one. The best, easiest way to remove a host is with Thor’s Hammer, or with the Tok’ra.”

 

“That’s who helped me,” Caldwell admitted in a low voice.

 

“Precisely,” Lam replied, her voice low and sympathetic. “Carson and I have discussed the possibilities at length, and we feel our best bet is to kill Gupta, and then attempt resuscitation.”

 

Caldwell finished off his drink. “That doesn’t sound hopeful.”

 

“There are ways to make it less risky,” Lam said. “But if he dies, the symbiote will leave his body, we can kill it, and then we can revive him. It’s not without its risks, but I have to ask you—if you were in Gupta’s shoes, what would you want?”

 

Elizabeth could see that the question struck home. “I would rather be dead than be a host,” Caldwell said immediately. “As his commanding officer, I would say go ahead.”

 

Lam glanced at Elizabeth, who gave a brief nod. “We’ll get things set up then,” Lam said. “I promise, we’ll do our best for him.”

 

“I know you will,” Caldwell said, rising. “Thank you both.”

 

They watched him go, and Lam looked at Elizabeth. “I feel like I’m failing them.”

 

“We can only do our best,” Elizabeth replied. She’d learned that lesson all to well over the last months.

 

~~~~~

 

“You’ve been avoiding me, Colonel,” Heightmeyer said as soon as John took a seat.

 

John shrugged. “You probably have people who need your help more than I do.”

 

Heightmeyer smiled. “So, you admit that therapy has some value?”

 

“Sure it does,” John said. “I just don’t know how it’s going to help _me_.”

 

Her office was sunny and cheerful, and John suddenly wondered how she was doing with all of this. He’d assumed that Carson was looking after her, and that if Heightmeyer was struggling, she’d bring her concerns to Carson.

 

But would she?

 

“Then lets talk about the nightmares you’ve been having,” Heightmeyer suggested. “Rodney said they’d been interrupting your sleep on a regular basis.”

 

John shrugged. “Semi-regular. They feel like memories than dreams when I’m right in the middle of one.”

 

“Memories of what?”

 

“Feeding.”

 

Heightmeyer looked sympathetic. “You dream of being a Wraith. Have you spoken to Teyla about your dreams?”

 

John hadn’t thought of that. “No. I don’t want to be a burden to my team.”

 

“I highly doubt that Teyla or anyone else would see you as a burden,” Heightmeyer replied. “They might appreciate the chance to help you. They watched you being tortured, and they couldn’t do anything.”

 

John slouched down in his chair a little farther and said nothing.

 

“Letting others help you can ease your burden _and_ theirs,” Heightmeyer said after a minute of silence.

 

“And what about you?” John said defensively, knowing she was probably right and not wanting to admit it. “Who do you go to for help?”

 

Heightmeyer raised her eyebrows. “Are you asking as the military commander of Atlantis, or are you asking because you don’t want to admit that I might have a point?”

 

John had to admire her sangfroid. “A little bit of both,” he admitted.

 

“Carson, Dr. Lam, Dr. Biro and I all get together on a weekly basis,” Heightmeyer admitted. “It’s a chance to offer support and solicit advice. It’s something I would have done had I been stationed on Earth. Perhaps you should think about doing the same.”

 

John shrugged. “We have team movie nights.”

 

“And I’m sure that’s helpful,” Heightmeyer replied. “Did killing Kolya help you?”

 

The question is somewhat unexpected, given that they had just been talking about the Wraith. “Not as much as I’d hoped,” John admitted, startled into honesty.

 

“Because you shot him when he was unarmed?” Heightmeyer asked.

 

She’d clearly read the mission reports, and John hadn’t lied, or shaded the truth. “It would have made it easier if he’d been shooting at me,” John said evenly.

 

“But you weren’t going to shoot him until he threatened Rodney,” Heightmeyer observed.

 

“He would have done the same thing to Rodney that he did to me,” John said fiercely. “He would have chipped away at the city until there was nothing left. He would have killed our allies without provocation or remorse.”

 

Heightmeyer nodded. “I believe you’re right. But that doesn’t mean you don’t feel guilty.”

 

John sighed, slumping forward. “No. It doesn’t.”

 

“And that’s what makes you human,” Heightmeyer said gently. “I would be more worried about you if you didn’t feel remorse, John.”

 

John couldn’t tell her that while he hated Kolya for what he’d done, John hated him more for what he’d caused John to become. All he said was, “Thanks. I know it’s just going to take time.”

 

Heightmeyer nodded, apparently accepting that John had said as much as he was going to today. “You’re right,” she agreed. “I’d like you to come see me again if you continue to have nightmares. There are some treatments for PTSD that we can try.”

 

“I’ll think about it,” John agreed, and then pushed up out of his chair with an off-hand, “Thanks, doc,” as he left her office.

 

And not that John would ever admit it, but he did feel a little better.

 

~~~~~

 

“You’re nervous,” Laro observed quietly. “You’re never nervous before a mission.”

 

“Not never,” Evan replied with a half smile. “But yeah. It’s—Iratus bugs. They latch on, and the only way to get it off is to die. Sheppard got bitten awhile back. It was before my time, but I’ve heard stories, and—”

 

“And?”

 

“I saw the aftermath,” Evan said. “He turned into a bug, or almost did. There were extenuating circumstances.”

 

Laro placed his hands on Evan’s shoulders. “Is that a concern?”

 

Evan shook his head. “Not a serious concern, but I’ve never liked bugs.” He tried to laugh it off, but he was pretty sure he had limited success.

 

Laro pressed his forehead against Evan’s. “I wish I could go with you.”

 

“I’m glad you can’t,” Evan said. “I’d like to know you’re safe at least.”

 

Laro’s hand clasps the back of Evan’s neck. “Be safe. Be well.”

 

“I have you to come back to,” Evan replied.

 

He headed for the jumper bay, finding his team waiting for him. Cadman, Robbins, and Mehta were the steadiest people he knew, and they were mostly outside the chain of command. Reeves would have been good backup, too, but he was third up, and Evan knew better. They had a rule—this one actually written down—that dangerous missions only included one of the three of them whenever possible.

 

“Sorry about this,” Sheppard said, having appeared to see them off. “I wouldn’t ask you to take this mission, Evan.”

 

“I know you wouldn’t, sir,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get what we need.”

 

Sheppard nodded. “Good luck.”

 

They boarded the jumper, and Evan waited for the all clear to go through the gate. “I want to make this fast,” Evan said. “No unnecessary risks. As soon as we have our specimens, we’re out of there. No splitting up, and watch each others’ backs.”

 

There was a chorus of “yes, sirs” and Evan nodded, mostly to himself. “All right.”

 

He was hoping that it wouldn’t take long. He didn’t think it had taken Sheppard’s team all that long to run into the Iratus.

 

Of course, given their luck, that wasn’t how it worked.

 

They spent an hour beating the bushes, and headed for the cave where they’d last captured the Iratus bug to cure Sheppard, but it was empty when they arrived.

 

“Well, this sucks,” Mehta muttered.

 

“You said it,” Robbins replied. “Where are we supposed to find these bugs?”

 

Evan shook his head. “I don’t know. This was supposed to be a hell of a lot easier, to be honest. Okay, let’s see what we can do, and then head back to Atlantis.”

 

“The Wraith came from the Iratus bugs, right?” Cadman suddenly said. “That means they might have more intelligence than the typical insect. Maybe after someone set fire to most of them, they found another place for their lair.”

 

“It’s as good an explanation as any,” Evan replied, not wanting to go back empty-handed. “We should at least have a good look around.”

 

Mehta grumbled, but in the inarticulate way that told Evan she wasn’t complaining about the mission so much as the creepiness factor.

 

Evan didn’t blame her. It wasn’t like he wanted to collect specimens. He had accepted the mission for the same reason that Sheppard hadn’t wanted to shove it off on him—he wouldn’t ask anybody else to do what he wasn’t willing to.

 

They were searching for another hour before Cadman said, “Shit! There!”

 

In addition to their side arms, they were also carrying zats to stun the bugs and take them alive, since that was necessary for the tests.

 

Cadman’s sharp eyes had picked out an Iratus bug from the surrounding brush, and she fired first. When she’d fired, Evan realized there were others in the brush, and so did the rest of the team, judging by the zat fire.

 

“Pick up your specimens and move!” Evan ordered, although it didn’t seem necessary, given that everybody was already doing just that.

 

They all had heavy plastic bags for the Iratus bugs, and Evan was slightly amused to see that they all picked up their bugs without actually touching them. And, as one, they all start running for the jumper.

 

Evan tried to cover their six, but Cadman shouted, “You’re our ticket out of here, sir!”

 

Robbins had a weak gene, so she could technically fly the jumper, and so could Mehta, but Evan was the best pilot out of all of them, and he knew it. He had to settle for staying mostly in the middle of the pack, and hoping that the bugs didn’t come after them.

 

Once they were all onboard, they all tossed their catches into a cargo container and closed it up. The back hatch closed, and Evan got them out of there, heading for the gate.

 

“Thank God,” Weir said over the radios as soon as they were through. “We were beginning to worry, Major.”

 

“Nothing to worry about, ma’am,” he assured her. “Everyone present and accounted for, and four Iratus bugs, as ordered.”

 

“Well done,” Sheppard said over the radio. “Get checked out, and then take the rest of the day off, Lorne. You deserve it. Same goes for the rest of your team.”

 

The rest of Evan’s team clearly heard the order, because they all gave a little cheer. “I have a hot date with my bed,” Mehta said cheerfully.

 

“Don’t forget that we have a meeting tonight,” Cadman warned.

 

Robbins grinned. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

 

“A meeting?” Evan asked.

 

“It’s the Atlantis stitch and bitch,” Cadman said smugly. “Of course, if you can knit or crochet, then you’d be welcome.”

 

“I’ll stick to painting and pottery,” Evan replied.

 

They all laughed, and Evan thought they were probably all giddy with success. “It’s best to stick with what you’re good at, sir,” Cadman agreed.

 

His post-mission check turned up nothing, and Cassie was the one to administer most of the tests. “I know it’s been awhile since we had a training session,” he said apologetically. “You up for one now? I’ll call Laro.”

 

She glanced at the clock. “I think I’ve got the time,” she said with a smile. “That would be great.”

 

Evan had to wonder what would happen when Colonel Mitchell returned, hopefully with family members in tow. Right now, Cassie was the youngest person on the city from Earth, and the first family member to arrive. Evan wanted to believe that she wouldn’t be the last.

 

They’d moved on from weapons training—mostly because it required bullets they weren’t willing to expend—to hand-to-hand.  “How have you been?” Evan asked as they stretched while waiting for Laro.

 

“Busy,” Cassie admitted. “Between my studies, the infirmary, and teaching the kids, I’m staying out of trouble. You?”

 

“Same,” Evan replied. “We’re talking about visiting the Athosians soon. I don’t remember when we’re next scheduled.”

 

Cassie grinned. “Maybe we’ll go together. I’m supposed to go with Gesi as soon as Carson says it’s okay.”

 

“I’d like that,” Evan agreed, having grown rather fond of Cassie over the last months. “I’ll see if we can manage to go at the same time.”

 

Laro entered the gym. “Sorry I’m late. I was caught by Huson with a request.”

 

A couple of others joined them as they began to spar, Evan walking both of them through basic grappling moves. He thought Cassie might seek additional instruction, but Laro just needed to know how to defend himself in case he was ever threatened. Everybody on the city was getting lessons in self-defense at this point, even if they had no intention or desire to leave the city.

 

The training was low-key and collegial. No one laughed at anybody’s mistakes, and everybody went with the flow.

 

Evan trained more seriously at other times, with other people—including Teyla and Sheppard—who posed more of a challenge. Today, he was teaching, and he found it relaxing, especially after the mission that morning.

 

His skin wasn’t crawling anymore, and he felt good about what he was doing, and what he had done.

 

Evan looked around, seeing Laro chatting with Cassie and Robbins, and he suddenly _knew_.

 

He waited until they were back in their quarters before turning to Laro. “Yes, I want to have a family with you,” Evan said without preamble. “I think we should do it.”

 

Laro beamed at him. “I would like that very much.”

 

And Evan knew _this_ was home now.

 

~~~~~

 

Teyla supervised the loading of the jumpers, ready to go back to the mainland for a week.  She still couldn’t quite believe that she’d convinced John to go with her, although she’d been able to sell it as a chance for him to get away with Rodney. With so many others on the city, there was no fear of letting the entire team go to the mainland.

 

“Give me a call if anything happens,” John was saying to Lorne.  “And I want daily updates.”

 

“No problem, sir,” Lorne said cheerfully. “Go. Relax. Have a good time.”

 

John hesitated. “Okay, but you’ll—”

 

“ _Oh, my God,_ ” Rodney said with an epic eye roll. “We have a radio, we have a jumper. We will literally be _minutes_ away. They can live without you for a week.”

 

John gave him a sly look. “I thought you said I wasn’t expendable.”

 

“Not expendable does _not_ mean you can’t take a break,” Rodney said. “Come on.”

 

Ronon gave Teyla a look that was highly amused. “They’re worse than ever,” he said.

 

“They seem to be doing fine,” Teyla replied, deliberately misunderstanding him.

 

Ronon hitched a shoulder. “We gonna do any hunting?”

 

“I think so, although I’m not sure how successful we’ll be. It’s not the best time of year for it, although there should be plenty of birds.”

 

Ronon frowned. “Not much eating on those.”

 

“We can take the jumper a ways out,” Teyla pointed out. “Some of the hunters found tracks of much larger creatures, but their main grazing area is three days away, and those who found it had already determined that they would head back.”

 

Ronon nodded. “Makes sense.”

 

They finished loading the jumpers, and Teyla and Ronon took their seats behind John and Rodney.

 

“Everybody ready?” John asked.

 

“Ready,” Teyla agreed.

 

“More than ready,” Rodney huffed. “You know, I had a few experiments that were in a critical place.”

 

John gave him a look. “You don’t have to go.”

 

“Of course I have to go,” Rodney replied indignantly. “Someone has to keep an eye on you, and you’re more important than the experiments. Sam and Zelenka will handle it.”

 

John smiled, clearly pleased. “Let’s get moving then.”

 

Teyla hadn’t been to the mainland in far too long, although she’d seen Halling and some of her people at the midsummer festival.

 

Halling greeted them with enthusiasm. “Teyla. It is good to see you.”

 

“And you,” she replied warmly. “We look forward to the hunt.”

 

“Ah, yes,” Halling said with a sigh. “I’d like to ask you and Colonel Sheppard—and Ronon—for a favor, if I might.”

 

Teyla waved John over from where he was directing those unloading the jumpers. “Halling, good to see you,” John said easily. “How have you been?”

 

“Well,” Halling said. “I had a favor to ask you.”

 

“Anything,” John replied immediately. “If it’s within my power, I’ll do whatever I can.”

 

“Jinto has asked for and received permission to go on the hunt,” Halling explained. “I cannot go, as I have other duties, but I would like someone to look after him.”

 

John nodded immediately. “Absolutely.”

 

“I will look after him as well,” Teyla said.

 

Halling offered a relieved smile. “I believed that you would, but I had to ask.”

 

They had a larger crowd this time, mostly made up people from the _Daedalus_ , those who had indicated they had a background in farming or ranching. The idea was to get them acclimated, teach them the techniques the Athosians used, and then start them planting on the alpha site, and eventually on other likely spots on the mainland.

 

The crew from the _Daedalus_ appeared a little cowed, and a little scared, and Teyla tried to set them at ease. “You can split up however you’d like,” Teyla said. “Whatever is most comfortable for you.”

 

Between her and John, they herded them towards the tents, helping to get them sorted. She hoped they’d settle in well. They had no room on Atlantis for those who could not pull their weight, or who decided to make trouble.

 

She was just glad that Barnes had finally settled down, as he had been the one causing the most problems.

 

The afternoon was spent taking a tour of the expanded fields, seeing the crops growing green and strong. John complimented Halling, who said, “Your help has been invaluable, Colonel Sheppard. We never would have been able to plant so much without your help.”

 

John shrugged off the gratitude. “It’s been our pleasure.”

 

With the niceties observed, they headed back for the collection of tents that marked the main settlement.

 

“Teyla!” She looked around for the source of the voice, and saw Kanaan heading towards her, his hands outstretched.

 

Teyla greeted him warmly. “Kanaan. You look well.”

 

“I am,” he said.

 

“Are you going on the hunt with us?” Teyla asked.

 

Kanaan shrugged. “I hadn’t decided, but knowing you are there, I may go.”

 

Teyla hesitated, realizing that Kanaan might have the wrong idea, but not wanting to jump to conclusions. “I should probably warn you that John and I told Halling that we would look out for Jinto.”

 

Kanaan nodded. “Of course. Well, perhaps I’ll see you then.”

 

John materialized by her side as Kanaan left to head for another part of the encampment. “He’s not bothering you, is he?”

 

Teyla smiled. “And if he were, I could take care of myself.”

 

“No question about that,” John agreed readily. “I’m just asking.”

 

“I think he might be interested in me,” Teyla replied.

 

“And you’re not?” John asked.

 

Teyla hesitated. “I think you would say that I’m married to my career.”

 

“Whatever you want,” John said. “As long as you’re happy.”

 

Teyla hesitated, then said, “I have everything I need on Atlantis.”

 

John smiled. “Good to know.”

 

“John! Teyla!” Rodney called. “Get over here so we can eat.”

 

John shared a look with her, half-amused and half-exasperated. “Shall we?” he asked.

 

Teyla noted that Halling had made every attempt to welcome the newcomers, and the feast took on a festival feel, with _ruus_ wine and ale flowing freely, and the birds that the Atlanteans compared to turkey roasting on spits around the fires.

 

The newly arrived crew of the _Daedalus_ unbent enough to participate in the dancing that some of the younger Athosians started, and a few joined in the knife throwing contests along with Ronon, who still held the record.

 

When Rodney dragged John off to bed, Teyla decided to give them some time before she joined them in their shared tent. She didn’t think it was entirely necessary, but she wanted to give them what privacy she could.

 

When she excused herself, Ronon was still talking with a large group of Athosians, but Rodney and John appeared to be asleep, tangled up together in an embrace both chaste and intimate. The sight caused Teyla to smile, as it didn’t seem like so long ago that Rodney had been asking her for relationship advice.

 

She dropped off quickly, waking when she heard muffled cries. Teyla could just make out Ronon’s crouched form in the dim light of early morning, and Rodney was hovering next to John, making soothing sounds.

 

Teyla suspected that John would be embarrassed if he knew they’d witnessed his bad dream, but she decided that she didn’t care.

 

She moved to John’s side, and Rodney whispered, “I can’t wake him up. He’s been having bad dreams, but I can usually wake him, and I—”

 

Teyla began to hum one of the lullabies that Charin had sung when she’d been a small, frightened child.

 

John relaxed by degrees, and then his eyes fluttered open. He seemed confused, asking, “Teyla, were you singing?”

 

“I forgot I wasn’t alone,” she lied.

 

John frowned, and she could tell when he remembered his dream, and put two and two together. “It was pretty,” he said.

 

Teyla smiled. “Thank you.”

 

“Now can we go back to sleep?” Rodney asked.

 

“We could run,” Ronon offered from the front of the tent.

 

John pushed to his feet with a grunt. “Yeah, sounds good. Go back to sleep, Rodney, I’ll be fine.”

 

Rodney nodded, an unhappy twist to his mouth.

 

When John and Ronon had gone, Teyla asked, “How often has that been happening?”

 

“Not every night,” Rodney replied, stretching out and staring straight up. “But several times a week.”

 

“Has John been to see Kate?”

 

Rodney jerked his head in the approximation of a nod. “He’s been, but you know how John is. He won’t talk about it. The only thing he’s said is that it’s normal, and they should go away.” He sighed gustily. “I had to ask Lam to knock him out the other week because he just wasn’t sleeping.”

 

“Perhaps his time here will help,” Teyla said.

 

Rodney was silent for a time, and then he admitted, “I think we both believed that killing Kolya would take care of it.”

 

“What Kolya did left its mark on all of us,” Teyla replied. “Another death doesn’t heal such wounds.” When Rodney didn’t reply, she decided to change the subject. “Will you go on the hunt with us today?”

 

“No, I’m going to look at the irrigation system,” Rodney replied. “We have some preliminary plans from the alpha site, and we need to see if the Athosians’ system will work as well there.”

 

“Will you be okay?” Teyla asked.

 

Rodney propped himself up on one elbow. “Yes, I’ll be fine. One of us has to be.”

 

But Teyla knew it was rarely that easy.


	9. Escape

_“Being on Atlantis changed everything. We weren’t working together as closely as we had been, and we had separate duties. That changed slightly later, after we started going on missions again, but for a while, we all did our own things. That wasn’t bad, though. We all had different things we could bring to the table, and we kicked ass.”_

 

~Interview with Vala Mal Doran

 

“So, how does it feel to be in charge?” Jack asked as he entered Sam’s lab.

 

Sam glanced over at him. “Strangely enough, not that different than it usually feels. Don’t tell McKay, but I kind of miss him.”

 

Jack mimed zipping his lips. “My lips are sealed.”

 

“He’ll be back tomorrow, though. It’s a good thing that the city accepts you as an acceptable substitute,” Sam said with a smile.

 

Jack shook his head. “Sheppard spent time in the control chair before he left, explaining that he was going to be gone. That seems to have done the trick.”

 

“I thought it would have been Lorne,” Sam admitted.

 

“We talked about it,” Jack said. “But if someone has to be stuck in the chair, it probably ought to be the guy who can’t run away.”

 

Sam winced at that reminder. “You have a point.”

 

“Let’s just hope that doesn’t become an issue,” Jack said. “What about you?”

 

Sam shook her head. “We’re still trying to hash out the delivery system for the Wraith poison. Right now, it looks like the only way it will work is for someone to sneak on board a Wraith ship and plant enough to fumigate it entirely. Or at least, enough to make it an easy target.”

 

Jack grimaced. “That sounds like a suicide mission.”

 

“It probably is,” she admitted. “But we’re also working to put the _Daedalus_ back together, so we have more of a fighting chance when the Wraith come back.”

 

“What about giving the poison to our allies?” Jack asked. “The attacks seem to be coming with more frequency.”

 

“We don’t have enough,” Sam replied glumly. “We will eventually, but right now the chemists are trying to solve our antibiotics problem.”

 

Jack didn’t say that they wouldn’t need antibiotics if the Wraith came and destroyed the city, but he had to hope that the cloak would hold. About the only thing the Wraith could do was to watch the area where Atlantis _had_ been and wait for confirmation that it was still there.

 

He had to admit that the idea had given him a few sleepless nights.

 

“You at a stopping point?” Jack asked. “I was going to take a group of newbies around, but if you’re free—”

 

She shook her head regretfully. “Sorry. I should get this done. There have been some power fluctuations lately, and we’re a little worried that something’s wrong with one or more of the power stations.”

 

“Good luck,” Jack said, and leaned in for a brief, chaste kiss.

 

They’d finally sorted through the _Daedalus_ personnel, determining who would be best suited, and most needed, on the city, who would go to the alpha site, and who would be rotated through away teams. In another quarter, they would reassess and possibly move people around.

 

Right now, though, it meant that those staying needed not only a full tour of the city, but also a reiteration of why some things should not be touched.

 

It was probably a good thing that most of them didn’t have the gene.

 

The crew from the _Daedalus_ —about a dozen in this group—stood out, since they were all wearing blue BDUs, waiting in an anxious knot in the gate room.

 

“Now that you have your permanent assignments,” Jack began, getting their attention and immediate silence. “The whole city is open to you—within reason.”

 

Vala strolled up next to him. She was dressed more like a Pegasus native, with leather pants, a loose shirt, and a leather vest, and Jack had to admit that it was a good look on her. “I thought I’d join you,” she said with a toothy grin. “We can demonstrate the difference between someone who carries the gene, and someone who doesn’t.”

 

Jack smiled, knowing that Vala could be downright terrifying. “Glad to have you.”

 

Although the job of tour guide would normally be given to someone else—specifically a lower ranking someone else—Jack had volunteered for the job. He wanted the chance to get a better feel for the crew, for who was doing well, and who was having a hard time, and what kind of risk they’d be.

 

And maybe he’d essentially appointed himself de facto morale officer, but he felt as though he might actually be of some use that way.

 

Of the twelve in this group, four had the gene, while the rest didn’t, which was a slightly higher percentage than the _Daedalus_ crew as a whole. He had a doctor, two nurses, one astrophysicist, a pilot, a botanist studying the effects of space on plant growth, and six crewmen, all of whom were mechanically inclined. Three of the mechanics had the gene, as did the pilot, making them invaluable on Atlantis.

 

But also potentially very dangerous.

 

To Jack’s experienced eye, they all seemed a little shell-shocked, a little lost, but they were holding it together for the most part. They listened attentively, and seemed appropriately cowed by the dire predictions of what would happen if they touched something they shouldn’t, especially after Vala added her own brand of colorful commentary.

 

After a tour of the jumper bay, Jack dismissed them just before dinnertime with the reminder, “Check the duty roster to see where you’re supposed to be. If you don’t have a computer with you, ask Sergeant Stackhouse; he’ll know. Remember, weapons training and PT are mandatory. If you want extra help, that’s encouraged. Let Vala know, and she’ll get you set up. Dismissed.”

 

One of the mechanics, Sergeant Freedman, stayed behind. “Sir? May I speak with you?”

 

Jack admired the guts it took to ask that question. Most of the time, personnel saw his rank and sought their answers from someone else.

 

“I’ll meet you and Daniel in an hour,” Jack said to Vala.

 

She nodded. “Of course. It was a pleasure, General.”

 

“As always,” he agreed.

 

Freedman focused on a point just over Jack’s right shoulder once they were alone, looking both scared and determined. She was one of those with the gene, and Jack thought she might be starting jumper training with Sheppard in a couple of days.

 

“What can I do for you, Sergeant?” he prompted.

 

She still hesitated. “It’s just—what happens if we reestablish contact with Earth, sir?”

 

“I think you’re going to need to be a little more specific,” Jack replied. “There are a lot of things that can happen.”

 

Freedman shifted uncomfortably. “Yes, sir. I meant—I heard that we don’t have ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ here, and I thought—” She stopped.

 

Jack suspected that he might be the first person on the city she’d asked that question, which meant that she’d just come out to him. “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Jack admitted. “But I don’t think that the SGC will exist again in our lifetime, not as an arm of the United States military. And as far as I’m concerned, we’ve got bigger issues here than who you bunk with.”

 

“Yes, sir,” Freedman replied. “Thank you, sir.”

 

“Is that all?” When she nodded, he said, “Go on. Enjoy your evening.”

 

“You too, sir,” she said with obvious relief and fast-walked away.

 

Jack was on his way to get dinner when he heard the citywide alarm go off, and Weir called him over the radio. “We have a situation.”

 

“What kind of situation?” Jack demanded.

 

“Wraith,” she said succinctly. “They’re still a few days out, but there are two Hive ships.”

 

“Fuck,” he said. “Have you called Sheppard?”

 

“Lorne’s calling him now,” Elizabeth said. “They have enough time to get back without alerting the Wraith to our presence.”

 

Jack nodded. “All right. I’m on my way to you now.”

 

Judging from what Sam had told him, Jack knew they weren’t prepared, or weren’t as prepared as he would have liked.

 

It figured.

 

~~~~~

 

The room was silent except for Novak’s hiccups, and Sam squashed her annoyance, knowing that it wasn’t Novak’s fault.

 

And Sam knew that everyone in the room was on edge.

 

They were waiting for Sheppard’s team to get started, since they needed everyone present to plan their attack—or defense. Atlantis was fully powered and therefore in better shape than the last time the Wraith had attacked, but two ships was one more than they’d hoped to have to deal with.

 

Sheppard strode into the room, wearing Athosian gear, looking very much as though he’d gone native.

 

“You’re out of uniform,” Jack accused.

 

Sheppard shrugged. “I didn’t stop to change.”

 

McKay was wearing a pair of dirty khakis and a t-shirt that said, “Physicists do it with fission!” “What have we got?” he demanded. “And how much time do we have?”

 

“If you’ll take a seat, we’ll go over it,” Elizabeth said.

 

John and Rodney took the seats that had been left for them near the head of the table, while Ronon leaned against the wall behind John, and Teyla sat next to Sam.

 

“Chuck saw the Wraith ships on the long range scanners,” Elizabeth explained. “We called you immediately. There are two ships, and we think they’ll be here in a little under a week.”

 

“The poison is ready,” Carson said when Elizabeth looked at him. “But we still don’t have a way of delivering it without physically placing it on the ship.”

 

“What about the _Daedalus_?” John asked. “Can we beam it on board the Wraith ship?”

 

Novak hiccupped and looked at Sam for help. “We don’t know where to beam it,” Sam replied. “But the _Daedalus_ doesn’t have a cloak, which means that it’s going to be a target. We might be able to get it flight ready in time, but battle ready? It’s going to be tight.”

 

“We have the Wraith dart,” John pointed out. “And the jumpers have cloaks.”

 

“Don’t be an idiot,” Rodney snapped. “You’re talking about a suicide mission.”

 

John shook his head. “No, I’m not. I’m talking about a way of saving Atlantis.”

 

“There’s only enough poison for one ship,” Lam said quietly. “Even if we managed to deliver it, we’d have to find a way to destroy the other.”

 

There was a pause, and Jack said, “Do we know that _they_ know Atlantis is still here?”

 

“We don’t,” Elizabeth said. “They might be coming into the system for another reason.”

 

“Even if they are, we’ll need to stop them,” John argued. “We can’t let them continue to cull.”

 

Jack cleared his throat. “And they could just sit up in orbit and send ships to the mainland.”

 

Sam glanced over at Teyla, seeing the alarm on her face. “It is possible that they know my people are there,” Teyla said. “And there have been Wraith worshippers on the worlds we’ve visited, and we’ve made new alliances. There are many ways the Wraith may have discovered that Atlantis still exists.”

 

“We could be proactive,” Sam suggested. “At least with one of the ships.”

 

Caldwell leaned forward. “If you can get the _Daedalus_ flight ready, we can distract the Wraith ships long enough to give a team time to get on board and deliver the poison.”

 

“Atlantis has more drones and more power for the shields now,” Rodney said reluctantly. “We can hold out for longer.”

 

“We have the 302’s, too,” Caldwell pointed out.

 

“I think we should send non-essential personnel to the alpha site,” Teyla said.

 

Weir nodded. “Agreed. John? What do you want to do?”

 

Sheppard stared down at the table, frowning. “We need to know if we can get the _Daedalus_ up and running in time. Colonel Carter?”

 

“I’ll know more in a day and a half,” she said. “We hadn’t been pushing quite as hard as we could have.” She left unsaid that a full court press meant no sleep and a lot of stimulants.

 

“Lorne and I will figure out who we can spare,” Sheppard said. “General, I could use your help with that. Once we know whether we’ll have the _Daedalus_ , we can make additional plans. In the meantime, I’ll put Stackhouse in charge of supplies, and then we’ll start sending people through to the alpha site. Carson, I want whatever you’ve got of the poison, and as much of it as you can get. I understand we’re time-limited, but do what you can.”

 

Vala spoke up. “I’d like to help.”

 

Sheppard hesitated, then said, “You’re with us, Vala. Teyla, Ronon, we could use your help as well. You’ve been training with most of those on the city. You should have a good idea of skill levels.”

 

Daniel looked as though he would protest, but he closed his mouth without saying anything, and Sam knew he was worried about what Vala was going to do. If Sam knew Vala, she would volunteer to deliver the poison.

 

“Yes, Dr. Jackson?” Weir prompted.

 

“I think we should copy as much information from Atlantis’ databanks as we can,” he said, although Sam didn’t think that’s what he had planned to say. “Just in case.”

 

“Agreed,” Weir said. “All right. Let’s get moving.”

 

Sam paused for a quick word with Jack. “Don’t expect me tonight. I think it’s going to be an all-nighter.”

 

“Same here,” Jack replied, giving her shoulder a quick caress. “I’ll check in later.”

 

McKay was having a brief conversation with Sheppard. They didn’t kiss, but their heads were bent close together, and they shared a heated look before McKay fell into step next to Sam and Zelenka, with Novak behind them.

 

“We’re still having problems with the power fluctuations,” Sam told McKay. “We need to get that figured out.”

 

“I’m going to change and grab a power bar, and then I’ll look at the power problem,” McKay replied. “Sam, Novak, focus on the _Daedalus_. You’re most familiar with it. Zelenka, I need you to calculate how long the shields can hold out under a full barrage, and what it would take to submerge the city. I don’t think it’s going to be necessary, but I want options. Find a minion, and see how many drones we have, too.”

 

They separated to their various tasks, Sam and Novak heading for the _Daedalus_. “Call everyone who has any experience with engineering, and who can give us a hand,” Sam said. “We’re going to be working around the clock.”

 

She thought they probably should have made more progress on the ship by now, but there had been resources they’d needed in other places. Now, they were going to have to make do with what they had, and get the ship working well enough to make it through a firefight.

 

Sam had a thought, and she called Jack over the radio. “We need to send a team back the ship we flew in on. I know nobody really wants to go back to that planet, but we didn’t get everything we could have the last time we were there.”

 

“We’ll take care of it,” Jack promised.

 

If they’d been on Earth, Sam knew that repairing the _Daedalus_ still would have taken weeks, even with unlimited material and specialized personnel and equipment, because they would have taken the time to make sure it was perfect.

 

But right now, they had fifteen people there, all of them wearing expressions of determination mixed with apprehension, all of them knowing they’d be putting the ship back together with baling wire, duct tape, and plenty of prayers.

 

“Let’s get to work,” Sam called.

 

~~~~~~

 

Cam wished he had a jumper. The _tel’tak_ at least had a cloak, but the controls were hard to use with one good hand, whereas the jumper had responded to his thoughts.

 

It was funny—Cam had been anxious to return to Earth, but now he was dying to get back to Atlantis.

 

Piloting the _tel’tak_ to Japan had been a tense exercise in flying below the radar, especially with the heightened scrutiny. Cam had to hug the ocean, feeling the occasional impact of a particularly large wave as he negotiated the shoreline of Honshu.

 

Jon had been vague about how he was planning to get to the rendezvous point, but he’d told Cam to park it, and wait thirty minutes. “If I’m not there, take off,” Jon had insisted. “It’s not safe to stay longer than that.”

 

The coordinates brought Cam to a deserted beach on the north side of Honshu, and he texted Jon as soon as he landed. A moment later, he received a reply. “ _On your six, two mins_.”

 

Cam scanned the beach quickly, and found only one life form. He opened the hatch at exactly two minutes and stepped outside, spotting Jon as he jogged up. “Let’s go,” Jon said breathlessly.

 

“Are we in trouble?” Cam asked.

 

“Not yet,” Jon said grimly, “but it looks like they’re gearing up for a civil war. There have been riots in the streets between followers of Origin and the authorities.”

 

Cam took off, staying close to the ocean again. “Everyone has been on high alert,” he said. “We’re going to have some serious trouble getting off-world.”

 

“We’ll deal with it,” Jon said. “We’ll have to. Have you heard from the others?”

 

“The Dawsons are on board at this point, and so are the Millers,” Cam replied. “My parents and my brother are coming, too.”

 

“Good,” Jon said briefly. “I think it’s possible that if there are reprisals, they’re going to target SGC personnel and their families.”

 

Cam nodded. “How many do you think we can take with us?”

 

“I say we take as many as we can,” Jon replied. “And I say we find another ship.”

 

“We can either talk to the Jaffa, or we can steal one,” Cam said. “But after our experience, I’d like to point out that stealing a ship is no guarantee of its reliability.”

 

Jon nodded. “We can make a decision later. Right now, we need to think about whether we can take other people, and who that might be.”

 

“We do have everyone’s lists,” Cam replied. “But we don’t have messages.”

 

Jon shook his head. “I have a plan for that, too.”

 

“You have a plan for everything,” Cam joked.

 

“I had several days of lying low to think about it,” Jon admitted. “We’re going to your folks’ place first, right?”

 

“Yeah, and then we’ll have to move quickly,” Cam said. “It’s just going to get harder to leave.”

 

“Like the Hotel California,” Jon muttered.

 

Cam set the _tel’tak_ down as close to his folks’ place as he could, and his mother gave him and Jon each a hug. “Oh, thank goodness you boys are safe,” she said.

 

“Cam!”

 

He turned to see Sarah rushing toward him, her red hair bright as flame. He gave her a one-armed hug, feeling a welling fondness. “Sarah. How are you?”

 

“A little freaked out,” she admitted, taking a step back. “You look very shaggy.”

 

He ran a self-conscious hand through his hair. “Yeah. I’m trying to go incognito here.”

 

“It’s working for you,” Ash said, giving Cam a quick hug. “The kids are sleeping now, but they’re excited to see you.”

 

“I’m glad you’re coming,” Cam said. “I’d hate to leave you behind.”

 

Ash nodded. “We weren’t going to come, but with the latest developments… We didn’t feel like we had a choice, and you did say it was a good place.”

 

“Different, but good,” Cam agreed. “It’s not without danger, but you’ll have your freedom.”

 

Ash grimaced. “Never thought I’d see the day when I couldn’t say that of my own country.”

 

“How many are coming with us?” Sarah asked.

 

Cam hesitated. “The Dawsons and their teenage son, and the Millers and their young daughter. I think Madison is about five.”

 

“Two years younger than Alex,” Sarah replied. “That’s good.”

 

“We’ll have a regular school,” Cam agreed. “And I hate to cut this short, but we need to make some decisions about whether we’ll take anybody else with us on this trip.”

 

“Can we help?” Ash asked.

 

Cam hesitated. “We’ll have to make some hard choices about who we’re taking with us. I’m not sure how we choose.”

 

“How did you choose before?” Cam’s mom asked.

 

“Lottery,” Jon replied. “But there are a lot of people on Atlantis, and we weren’t sure what the situation would require. We couldn’t take everyone.”

 

“And we won the lottery?” Ash asked.

 

Cam shook his head. “No, actually. There were only three names drawn, and mine wasn’t one of them. But the Kusanagis are followers of Origin, and we can’t have that on Atlantis.”

 

Ash frowned. “Then should we go? It seems like we’re taking unfair advantage.”

 

“Cam took the risk coming here,” Jon said. “That means he gets to reap the rewards. It’s perfectly fair.”

 

“Who else?” Cam asked, looking at Jon. “I feel like you’re the most objective person here.”

 

“I probably am,” Jon agreed. “Give me the list.”

 

They went back and forth for a few hours, late into the night. The list was one thing, but they all had knowledge of their crewmates that wasn’t reflected there. Sam had a brother, who had a family. Elizabeth had a mother. Sheppard had a father and a brother, who also had a wife and kids.

 

There were a lot of factors to consider, and a lot of people to consider, and they didn’t have all the information, nor did they have a lot of time. In the end, it was Cam’s dad who provided the solution.

 

“A lottery is all well and good when you’re not under the gun,” he said. “But if you’re talking a rescue operation, then I think you need to focus on possible targets, and that’s probably going to be families of senior officers, and people whose families can be used against them.”

 

“That leaves out Sheppard and Sam,” Cam replied after a moment’s thought. “Sheppard’s been estranged for years, and Sam’s had only limited contact. Daniel’s only family is dead, and O’Neill’s in the same boat. When I checked, Elizabeth’s mom was in an assisted living facility. But Lorne’s close with his family.”

 

Jon looked at the list. “If they go with us, that puts us over the top, but we’re definitely going to have to come back for people.”

 

“We’re also going to need a way to convince them,” Cam pointed out. “Are there any SGC personnel on earth that we could evacuate safely?”

 

Jon shook his head. “There are a few, but we haven’t had any luck contacting them. I’ve been trying, but they’re not picking up on my overtures, if they’re even still around.”

 

Cam hesitated. “I hate to do this, but how easy is it going to be to find out what occupations they have? Are there people who are going to be useful?”

 

“That was part of Stackhouse’s questionnaire,” Jon said. “In a searchable spreadsheet, no less.”

 

“Most useful, plus most likely to be targeted,” Cam suggested. “We’ll select a cross-section.”

 

In a few hours, they’d sorted through the list, coming up with a list of top priorities. Evan’s sister was actually right up there, since she was an electrical engineer, with a specialty in computers, and her husband was a neurologist.

 

“High achievers,” Cam commented.

 

“Better yet, his dad’s an OB/GYN, and his mom was an art teacher,” Jon said. “I think we might be able to fudge it.”

 

Cam felt a moment’s uneasiness. They were proposing to take along five small children and a teenager, and if anything went wrong…

 

He remembered the trip out, and how close they’d come to dying, and he had no idea what they’d do if they had to watch a child fare the same fate.

 

“There’s another option,” Jon said quietly. “I know where the caches are. We can hook up a naquadah generator to a gate on the edge of the Milky Way, and then go through to the alpha site.”

 

Cam frowned. “Is that possible?”

 

“If the caches are still there,” Jon replied. “But if not, we can continue on in the _tel’tak_. Of course, one trip to Pegasus will drain a generator.”

 

Cam wished he’d had more contact with Lorne; he didn’t know the man well enough to convince his family to take a risk like going to another galaxy.

 

After everyone else had gone to bed, Jon said quietly, “There’s another way. We could send you through to the alpha site with the naquadah generator, and I could come back here, make contact with people, and ferry them out.”

 

“And how are we going to get them to Atlantis?” Cam asked.

 

“We’ll find another ship,” Jon said. “Look, we have to get out of here.”

 

“I’m not sure we can assume that Atlantis will have the power to dial out to the Milky Way, at least not often.”

 

Jon hesitated. “I could go to Teal’c, see if I can get another ship as a backup. That way, we can transport people and supplies to and from regardless of what happens.”

 

Cam did a quick calculation. “That’s another week until we can leave.”

 

“At least,” Jon said unhappily. “But it gives you time to talk to Lorne’s family.”

 

Cam didn’t like putting off their departure that long, but he couldn’t help but agree. “Fine. But hurry.”

 

“Fast as I can,” Jon agreed.

 

“I’ll try to make contact with Lorne’s family, and we’ll gather supplies,” Cam said. “We’ll try to get it done.”

 

“Good luck,” Jon said.

 

Privately, Cam thought they’d need it.

 

~~~~~

 

“I think I should be in the chair,” O’Neill insisted quietly. “I’m not much good in a fight, Sheppard, and I think Atlantis will accept my direction.”

 

Sheppard thought about that for a minute. “Agreed. If it’s not me, it had better be you. I’d like Lorne to direct things from Atlantis.”

 

Lorne looked slightly alarmed, but he said, “Yes, sir.”

 

“I guess that leaves you to run the mission to the Wraith ship,” O’Neill observed. “You don’t think you’re throwing your life away?”

 

“I have no intention of dying,” Sheppard replied testily.

 

Vala glanced over at him. “I’m going with you.”

 

Sheppard frowned. “I’m not asking you to go with me.”

 

“I didn’t hear you ask,” Vala said sweetly. “I’m offering.”

 

“As am I,” Teyla said.

 

“Me too,” Ronon added. “Any day I can kill Wraith is a good day.”

 

Sheppard nodded. “All right.”

 

“Is it doable?” O’Neill pressed.

 

Sheppard hesitated. “Yes. Depending on what Carson can do for us, we might be able to do even more than that. Maximum spread of the poison might give us the chance of beaming another dose on the second ship,” Sheppard said. “Once we get a good idea of the layout, though, we might be able to beam a bomb or something like it onto the second, assuming we have enough to go around.”

 

Lorne leaned forward. “We could take out the top leadership if we knew where they were. Even if it didn’t stop the Hive ship entirely, it might give us the edge we need.”

 

“Two ships,” Sheppard murmured. “If we took them both out with minimal casualties, we could show the Wraith that they can’t mess with us.”

 

Vala thought about what it meant to have a Hive shipfloating derelict through space, filled with the dead, and she thought it might send quite the message. “It’s worth the risk,” she said. “More than worth it.”

 

“We could make a point,” O’Neill agreed. “Who else?”

 

“Me, Vala, Ronon, Teyla,” Sheppard said. “How many others do you think, Teyla?”

 

Teyla thought for a moment. “We may need help with the more technical aspects, and Rodney won’t agree to be left behind.”

 

“Rodney’s needed on Atlantis,” John argued.

 

“Rodney is part of the team,” Teyla replied sharply. “And I think it should be his decision.”

 

John grimaced, probably because he knew what Rodney’s answer would be. It was probably the same answer Daniel would have given, had he been asked to go on a mission where Vala’s life was at risk.

 

She knew that Daniel would not be happy if she agreed to go, but she knew she could be of assistance. She might even provide the deciding factor to ensure the mission’s success.

 

“Bering and Jesso,” Teyla said quietly. “They have no family, and they are smart and adventurous. They would happily strike out at the Wraith.”

 

Lorne made a pained noise and said, “I can think of a couple of others, sir. Ruiz had a boyfriend, Pirsch, and he’s very skilled. And Mellis is good at infiltration, and he’s quick on the draw.”

 

“We’ll ask them,” Sheppard replied. “Only volunteers, though, Major, so don’t beat yourself up.”

 

“Yes, sir,” Lorne said unhappily.

 

“All right,” O’Neill said, “Let’s talk realistically. Is this plan going to work?”

 

Sheppard shrugged. “Do we have another choice? We needed to test out the poison, and this gives us the chance to do that.”

 

O’Neill nodded. “Very well.”

 

“We still have time,” Sheppard said quietly. “At least a night or two, until we’re ready. Do what you need to do.”

 

Vala knew that Daniel would be busy copying files and making a backup, and her inclusion on the committee making assignments gave her inside information. Daniel would be one of those asked to go to the mainland, while Vala would go on the mission to destroy the Wraith ship.

 

There was a part of her that wanted to not tell Daniel, but she knew she owed him more than that. They owed each other honesty at the very least.

 

She waited up for him in their quarters, or tried to. She fell asleep, waking only when the bed dipped, and Daniel slid between the sheets. “Daniel?”

 

“Go back to sleep,” he said.

 

“I need to talk to you,” she murmured.

 

“That’s okay,” he assured her. “Corwin’s taking over for the next twelve hours. We’ll talk when we both have some sleep.”

 

Vala went back to sleep, unable to do much else, and when she awoke again, Daniel was in the shower. She performed her morning’s ablutions, waiting for Daniel’s reappearance.

 

“I don’t have much time,” he said over the sound of the water. “I need to relieve Corwin”

 

Vala put aside her anxiety and said, “I’m going with Sheppard.”

 

There was a long pause, and Vala wasn’t sure he’d heard her, but then he said, “Isn’t there someone else?”

 

“No,” Vala said shortly. “There isn’t. Do you remember when I stole your ship from you?”

 

“You didn’t steal it from _me_ ,” Daniel protested. “But yes, I remember when you stole the _Prometheus_.”

 

“I did that on my own,” Vala reminded him. “There wasn’t any backup. There was just me, and I did it.”

 

Daniel nodded. “You did.”

 

“And that’s what I bring to the table,” Vala said. “I am a thief. I am very nearly fearless. And if there is anyone on Atlantis more capable of sneaking on board a ship and setting bombs, I don’t know who it would be.”

 

“You’re right,” Daniel said quietly. “You’re right. I just—I don’t want to lose you.”

 

“I can’t promise that you won’t lose me,” Vala admitted. “But I will do my best to come back to you.”

 

Daniel stepped out of the shower, looking at her helplessly. “I also don’t want anything to happen to you.”

 

Vala knew intimately that there were other things besides death that could happen to a person on a mission, and leave scars. She was still dealing with the scars left behind from their time in the Goa’uld dungeon, but she was _dealing_ with them, and she needed Daniel to believe in her.

 

“I need you to trust that I can take care of myself,” Vala said quietly. “And that I know what I can handle.”

 

Daniel’s face fell. “I do. I’m sorry. You’re one of the strongest, most competent people I know, and you going on this mission will improve the chance of success.”

 

Vala felt some of the tension leave her, because that was exactly what she’d needed to hear. “Thank you.” She smiled. “So, how much time do you have?”

 

Daniel hesitated. “About fifteen minutes. Why?”

 

Vala kissed him. “Do you have to ask?”

 

“No, I guess I don’t,” Daniel replied, cupping her cheek. “I think we have enough time.”

 

Vala was glad, because she suspected that they weren’t going to have many more opportunities.

 

~~~~~

 

Daniel felt as though events were moving too fast. The Hive ships were bearing down on Atlantis, and they were feverishly making preparations.

 

And really, Daniel loved Atlantis, and his life here, and his work, but there were times he missed being part of SG-1, and in a more general sense, the SGC. On Earth, Daniel had been intimately involved in a lot of the decisions, or caught up in the mix and in the thick of things.

 

He missed that. He missed knowing what was going on, and all aspects of what was going on, but he had his sources.

 

Then again, catching those sources was a little more difficult.

 

He welcomed the strategy meeting for the opportunity to get more information on what was happening in the other areas of planning besides his own.

 

Jack was the first to show up, which was not surprising. Sam would likely be spending all her time getting the _Daedalus_ ready, and he wasn’t sure she’d tear herself away for this meeting.

 

Lorne showed up next, slumping wearily next to Jack, rubbing his eyes. “I think I could go to bed and sleep for a year.”

 

“Hold that thought,” Jack said. “When we’ve destroyed the Wraith, you can sleep all you want.”

 

“Promises, promises,” Lorne grumbled. “You and I both know that there’s no rest for the wicked, sir.”

 

Jack smiled briefly. “True enough.”

 

Weir came in, looking just as weary. “Rodney and John should be here shortly.”

 

“Sam said they’d have the _Daedalus_ ready, but only if she can keep working without interruption,” Jack replied.

 

Caldwell joined them next, looking tired but satisfied. Daniel remembered hearing that he’d been helping to finish stripping the ship they’d flown to Pegasus, and had been doing what he could to help out repairing the _Daedalus_.

 

He kept his ramrod posture, although his shoulders were a little slumped, which was the only sign of his weariness.

 

“How are we doing?” Weir asked, as Beckett entered the room.

 

“Good,” Caldwell said briefly. “We’re close. We might even be able to put up a real fight.”

 

Sheppard and McKay entered the room silently, not even engaging in their usual banter, and they dropped down into their respective seats. Vala and Teyla joined them a moment later, and Vala took a seat next to Daniel, reaching over to take his hand. Ronon entered behind them, slumping down next to Sheppard.

 

“This is just a chance to update those in charge of the major components of our strategy,” Weir said. “I’ll be meeting with the others involved when and where I can. Dr. Jackson?”

 

Daniel was a little surprised that she called on him first, but he replied, “I think we’ve got the most crucial files copied. We’re working on the others, but we’ll be ready when the time comes.”

 

“I realize that this is going to be a difficult request, but I’d like you to go to the mainland. There should be minimal risk in a cloaked jumper,” Weir said. “I’d like a second backup to go with Dr. Corwin to the alpha site.”

 

Daniel was expecting that request, and he supposed that he should be grateful that he was only going to be as far away as the mainland, and therefore within radio contact. “I understand,” he said.

 

“There is no one else on Atlantis who can translate Ancient as well as you,” Weir said quietly.  “We can’t afford to lose you.”

 

Daniel nodded. “I _do_ understand.”

 

“John?” Weir prompted.

 

“We’ve got our team,” Sheppard confirmed. “We’re still going over the logistics. With a little luck, we’ll map the ship, and we can beam additional bombs onto the second ship.”

 

Weir glanced at Beckett. “Will we have enough?”

 

Carson nodded. “We’ll have enough to take out one ship, and part of another. If we can pinpoint the right locations on the second Hive ship, we can at least make it easier for the _Daedalus_.”

 

Weir nodded. “General?”

 

“We’re ready,” Jack replied. “The kids leave the city tomorrow. Barnes is going to be in charge.”

 

Weir lifted an eyebrow. “Is that wise?”

 

“He’s grown tremendously,” Sheppard inserted quietly. “And he’s good with the kids, and they’re attached to him. It’s the best choice.”

 

Weir smiled. “All right, then. I’m glad he found his niche.”

 

“The rest of the nonessential personnel will be leaving in the next couple of days,” Jack continued. “We’ve got a schedule that should move people out in an orderly fashion.”

 

Weir nodded. “Great. Rodney?”

 

“We’re as ready as we’re ever going to be,” Rodney said. “We worked out the issue with the power fluctuation, and the shields are at full strength. I don’t think the Wraith will be able to see the city to target us, but they might have our coordinates.”

 

Daniel wished they could just pack up and move, but they had a duty to the Athosians, and for that, they’d need to find another planet, and there just wasn’t time.

 

Weir sighed. “How are we on supplies?”

 

“We’ve got enough to withstand a month-long siege,” Teyla said. “Beyond that, we will be forced to ration.”

 

“God.” Weir pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes. “We didn’t need this right now. Okay, everybody, back to work.”

 

Daniel followed Vala out, their hands still joined. “Do you have to be anywhere?” he asked.

 

“We’re still drilling,” Vala replied. “I’m sorry.”

 

“No, it’s okay,” Daniel insisted, because he couldn’t say anything else. If one more drill meant the difference between Vala surviving and not, he wanted her to do one more drill, or a hundred more. “Whatever keeps you safe.”

 

“I’ll talk to you later,” she promised.

 

Daniel agreed, but he wasn’t sure they’d have time.

 

~~~~~

 

Cam felt oddly naked for this visit. He knew little about Lorne, and so couldn’t offer personal confidences as proof of his intentions. He didn’t have a video message for Lorne’s family. What he did have was his mom, Sarah, and the personal messages Miko Kusanagi, Rodney McKay, and Rose Dawson had recorded.

 

He would feel like he was betraying a confidence if he had to share them, but he thought the others would forgive him.

 

The woman who answered the door left the chain on, and all Cam could see was one eye. “Yes?”

 

“My name is Cameron Mitchell, and I’m here on behalf of Evan Lorne,” he said quietly.

 

They had very nearly not been able to make the trip. Jon had taken the _tel’tak_ to meet up with Teal’c and Bra’tac, and most of the airports had been shut down. Luckily, Cam’s dad had a friend with his own plane, and he’d agreed to fly them out to California for a price.

 

Since money wasn’t going to mean much where they were going, they’d paid it without question.

 

“Are you from the government?” she asked.

 

Cam shook his head. “No, ma’am. We just want to talk. If you don’t like what we have to say, you can kick us out.” When she still hesitated, he added, “It’s me, my mom, and my sister-in-law. We aren’t going to cause any trouble.”

 

“You’d better come inside,” she said reluctantly.

 

Cam could see Lorne in her—in the shape of her mouth and the color of her eyes. Her hair was a mixture of blonde and gray, and the lines around her eyes and mouth looked as though they were a result of laughter, even if she wore a serious expression at the moment.

 

“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked, once she’d locked the door behind them.

 

“I’m good,” Cam said easily. “I trust you’ve seen the news.”

 

“Who hasn’t?” she asked. And then, suddenly, she seemed to become animated, and Cam suspected that hope had overcome caution. “Do you really know Evan?”

 

“He’s the second in command of my most recent posting,” Cam replied. “His commanding officer is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, and he’s only been there a year. I heard he paints, but I’ve never seen his work.”

 

She covered her face with her hands for a moment. “Yes. Okay, yes.” She took a deep breath and held out a hand. “My name is Andrea.”

 

Cam introduced himself, his mom, and Sarah, and then explained the situation, finishing up with, “We weren’t sure what we were going to find when we got back here, or how many people we could take back with us. Right now, it looks like we might have space, or we can make space, and we were worried you’d be targeted.”

 

“There have been people coming around,” Andrea acknowledged. “They seemed to believe us when we tell them that we haven’t heard anything, though, and we’ve been keeping our heads down. We knew something would happen.”

 

The way she said “something” told Cam that she’d expected government crackdowns and arrests and repercussions. She said it like someone who knew she’d be able to fly under the radar for only so long, and eventually things would get bad.

 

She said it like someone who knew she wouldn’t be arrested because of what her son did, but because of her own political beliefs.

 

“I can leave you with the tapes that our people made,” Cam offered, “and you can talk to your husband and daughter about it. I know Major Lorne would love to have you there, and there’s a place for you.”

 

Andrea shook her head. “I’m just an art teacher.”

 

“And I have children,” Sarah inserted, speaking up for the first time. “There will be other kids there, and they should learn about art. They should learn about Earth and everything else, but they should know our history.”

 

Andrea’s face softened. “How old are your kids?”

 

Sarah whipped out her phone. “They’re seven and ten,” she replied. “Here.”

 

The pictures were something so obviously real—a boy and girl mugging for the camera in last year’s Halloween costumes, running through lawn sprinklers, dancing in a recital—all things Cam had missed. But they weren’t faked, and Andrea smiled. “They’re adorable.”

 

“I think so,” Sarah said simply. “If your grandkids come, they’ll be in good company.”

 

“Can you promise they’ll be safe?” Andrea countered.

 

“No,” Cam said bluntly. “I can’t make that promise, but I wouldn’t make it even if we were here on Earth. I can tell you that they’ll be surrounded by people like Lorne, who make it their goal to keep other people safe. And we will do everything in our power to keep your family safe, too.”

 

Andrea sighed. “I suppose that’s all you can do, isn’t it?” she asked. “All right, then. I’ll talk to Greg about it, and Emily and her husband. How much time do we have?”

 

“I can give you two days,” Cam replied. “And if you decide to come, I need you to stock up on whatever you can—medical supplies, food, coffee, whatever you think you might need, and then some.”

 

Andrea smiled. “I suppose it’s going to be an adventure, then.”

 

Cam suspected he knew which parent Lorne took after. “Yes, that it will be.”

 

Cam’s mom reached out to grab Andrea’s hand. “You have to ask yourself if it’s worth it to have your family all together again,” she said. “And if it is, if that means more to you than staying here, then it’s worth going.”

 

The moment turned electric, and Cam appreciated his mom more in that moment than at any other point. Because, really, if she hadn’t led the charge, he had no doubt that he’d be going back to Atlantis with the Millers, and maybe the Dawsons, and that was about it.

 

“It is,” Andrea said quietly. “And things are getting bad here. I have to talk to the others, but I think they’ll agree.”

 

And Cam suddenly wondered how many people would agree to leave once things did get bad, and he was grateful that Jon was looking into getting another ship. Maybe they couldn’t save all 7 billion people, but they could ferry out the people who didn’t want to stick around.

 

He had to believe that would be enough.


	10. Battle Lines

_“The fact is, you’re in the middle of a crisis, and there’s no time to stop and think. Obviously, we wanted to survive, and that’s what we focused on. At the end of the day, our objective was to save Atlantis, and everyone on the city, as well as all of our allies. I can’t say that I’d change anything, looking back. Obviously, I wish that some choices hadn’t been necessary, but when it’s kill or be killed, you’d damn well better do the killing.”_

~Interview with John Sheppard

 

“It will fly,” Carter admitted. “But it won’t do much more than that.”

 

“That’s all we need it to do,” John insisted. “We’ll keep the dart behind the planet with the cloaked jumper, and once things start heating up, we’ll limp in.”

 

Teyla believed it to be the best plan they had, although she understood how many factors were at play. If the Wraith ship looked too closely at the Wraith dart and saw it was from another Hive ship, if they were challenged at any point, if the jumper was detected, if they were stopped once they were on board, if the bombs with the poison were discovered before they went off—if any of those things happened, their mission would be a failure.

 

Of course, the alternative was to just let events run their course, to attempt to hold out during a siege and hope that the city wasn’t overrun or destroyed.

 

They still hadn’t determined _who_ would fly the Wraith dart, though. John would have been the logical choice, but he was needed to fly the jumper. Rodney wasn’t a strong enough pilot to fly either the dart or the jumper, and the other Atlanteans were trained in covert ops and combat, but not as pilots.

 

“I think it should be me,” Vala said quietly. “I’m an experienced pilot, and I’ve flown many different kinds of ships. I can handle it.”

 

John sighed. “I know you can. Just come through in one piece, okay?”

 

“I always do,” Vala replied lightly.

 

Teyla was well aware that Vala didn’t always come through unscathed, and she also knew that it only took that one, last mission where things didn’t go right, and this could be the one—for any of them.

 

But lies like that were part of the routine before a dangerous mission. Teyla had learned over the years that no one spoke of the worst that could happen, viewing it as tempting fate.

 

“Careful!” Rodney barked at the Marines loading the jumper. “If you drop one of those, that’s Wraith we can’t kill, which means _everybody dies_.”

 

She saw one Marine roll his eyes, but they walked a little more slowly as they loaded the bombs into the back of the jumper.

 

Carson had been working on synthesizing the poison right up until the last possible moment, and they had enough for one Wraith ship. The three other bombs were being loaded onto the _Daedalus_ , to be beamed aboard at locations that would hopefully cripple the second vessel.

 

“All right,” John said quietly. “Twenty minutes, and then we have to leave.”

 

Vala jogged out of the room, and John crossed the jumper bay to talk to Elizabeth and O’Neill, Rodney and Ronon at his heels. Teyla had only one person she wished to say goodbye to, and Laro crossed over to her.

 

His hands were gentle on her shoulders, warm fingers curling in, squeezing briefly as he pressed his forehead to hers.

 

Teyla didn’t try to offer any assurances, merely reminding him, “We have unfinished business.”

 

“I know you are not one to break a promise,” Laro replied. “Be as careful as you can.”

 

She was surprised to see that Evan had also joined them, and he repeated Laro’s gesture.

 

Teyla’s family was her team, but Laro and Evan had also become part of her family.

 

Evan brushed his lips over her forehead in a brotherly sort of kiss, and then headed over to speak to Sheppard and the others.

 

“I believe you can do this,” Laro said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen between them. “I believe you will return, and that Atlantis will be waiting for you when you do.”

 

Laro’s quiet faith was a balm. “So do I,” Teyla said, knowing that she would make the same decision, even if she weren’t sure. “But if—” she began, and stopped, not wanting to give voice to the possibility that she wouldn’t return, feeling a little superstitious herself.

 

“I will do my best to be the bridge between our people and Atlantis,” Laro replied to her unspoken request.

 

And Teyla would have to be content with that.

 

~~~~~

 

“Wheels up,” John said quietly. “We need to be in position before the Hive ships are within sensor range. I don’t want to give them confirmation that we’re here until we have to.”

 

“And if they do nothing?” Elizabeth asked, although she already knew the answer to the question. Eventually, they would have to send out a Wraith dart, or more, and then they’d be able to slip in under the guise of sustaining damage.

 

“Then we wait,” John replied. “We have enough supplies. If it looks like we’re going to be stuck out there for a while, we’ll head out to join the Athosians and just fly low.”

 

Elizabeth crossed her arms tightly over her chest, knowing that they’d contemplated every possibility they could think of, and a few things that were highly improbable, and her people were good enough that they’d be able to respond on the fly. “Good luck.”

 

“You, too,” John replied, and she could see then what it cost him to leave Atlantis. “General, good luck in the chair.”

 

“I’ll be fine,” O’Neill replied. “Atlantis and I are like _this_.” He held up a hand with his first two fingers crossed. “Obviously, though, she’ll miss you.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” John said, but then the lights flickered, as if on cue, and Rodney rolled his eyes.

 

“Oh, my God,” he muttered. “Come on. We need to go.” Rodney offered Elizabeth a jerky nod. “See you later,” he said, and she knew that it was his way of being encouraging.

 

Elizabeth watched as the jumper and the Wraith dart flew out, and then she turned to O’Neill. “Next up, huh?”

 

O’Neill managed a weary smile. “Seems that way.”

 

They still had time before the Wraith hive ships were due to arrive, and O’Neill said, “Why don’t you catch a few hours?”

 

“What about you?”

 

“You catch a few, and then I’ll take my turn,” O’Neill assured her.

 

Elizabeth thought about all the things she probably ought to do, and then she remembered what it had been like the last time the Wraith had attacked Atlantis. They would probably all be living on stimulants before this was over, and the chance to catch a few hours of sleep shouldn’t be passed up.

 

“I’ll see you in a few hours,” Elizabeth promised.

 

She wasn’t sure she’d be able to sleep, in spite of the fact that it had been days since she’d had more than a couple of hours to herself. In spite of her doubts, she dropped off immediately, and woke realizing that the sound of her alarm clock had been incorporated into her dream.

 

She didn’t have time for a shower, but she splashed some cold water on her face, and combed her hair so that it didn’t look like quite as much of a mess.

 

A quick wash in the sink and a fresh shirt, and she was as clean as she was going to get right now.

 

O’Neill was in her office, looking over reports. “Sleep well?” he asked, not looking up.

 

She nodded. “Well enough. It’s your turn.”

 

O’Neill scrubbed his hands over his face. “Call me if anything changes.”

 

“Of course.”

 

Elizabeth hated this part—the waiting before something terrible happened, knowing the worst was coming, and there was nothing they could do. There was nothing _she_ could do, more accurately.

 

Carson poked his head in a few hours later. “I just wanted to let you know that we’ve made all the preparations we can. Everyone who could give blood has, and we moved some of the medical supplies off the _Daedalus_. We’re in good shape. Or as good as we can be.”

 

“Thank you, Carson,” Elizabeth replied. “Come in and sit.”

 

“I brought sandwiches,” he replied. “There’s really not much else with most of the nonessential personnel off the city.”

 

“Corporal Dawson didn’t need to be on the city,” Elizabeth said. “It’s something of a relief to know there are those we don’t need to worry about.”

 

“I don’t disagree,” Carson replied. “It’s a relief for me, as well.”

 

“How were the kids doing when they left?” Elizabeth asked.

 

Carson hesitated. “They were frightened, but Corporal Barnes was doing an excellent job at making it seem like a game. He’s a good man.”

 

“Or he’s turning into one,” Elizabeth said. “I’m glad to hear it.”

 

The alarm went off, and Elizabeth frowned, rising to run out to the gate room. “Chuck?”

 

“They got here a little faster than we anticipated, ma’am,” he said, tension in his voice, although he kept his cool. “They just entered orbit.”

 

“Have we had any contact with Colonel Sheppard?” she asked.

 

Chuck shook his head. “No, ma’am, but we weren’t expecting it.”

 

“I know,” she said. “I just wondered if he’d tried to contact us.”

 

“Wraith darts are breaking free,” Chuck announced.

 

“Call General O’Neill,” Elizabeth ordered. “Immediately. He needs to be in the chair room.”

 

Chuck glanced over his shoulder at her. “Already done, Dr. Weir.”

 

“Alert the rest of the city,” she said, turning to Carson. “I’ll see you later.”

 

“I’ll be where I’m needed,” Carson replied. “Good luck.”

 

Elizabeth nodded. “You, too.”

 

That was all she could do, and she felt the impact as something hit the shields of the city. “What was that?” she asked.

 

“Strikes against our shield,” Chuck replied. “We’re still at full power, Dr. Weir.”

 

“Keep me updated,” Elizabeth ordered, pacing behind Chuck. “If our power dips, I want to know.” She tapped her radio. “Colonel Carter, I want to know if there’s any trouble with the shields, or our power supply.”

 

There was a pause, and then Carter promised, “Will do.”

 

Elizabeth hated waiting, being unable to do anything, but there was nothing she could do, other than watch.

 

“Keep me apprised,” Elizabeth said quietly.

 

And then she settled in to wait.

 

~~~~~

 

The Wraith approached faster than they’d expected, and John was grateful that he’d taken the precaution of getting into orbit so soon. They stayed on the far side of the planet, out of sight from the Wraith.

 

Rodney had done everything in his power to ensure that they could stay in passive contact with Atlantis, connected to their communications systems without alerting the Wraith to their presence.

 

“They’re attacking the city now,” Rodney said tersely. “Sensors say that dozens of Wraith darts are firing on Atlantis.”

 

 “Vala?” John said over the radio. “You ready to lead the way?”

 

“Ready, willing, and able,” Vala replied. “Just follow my lead.”

 

John piloted the jumper in Vala’s wake, keeping it cloaked. It was easy enough until they were on the other side of the planet, with the Wraith darts bombarding the city. Then, John had to follow Vala and dodge the Wraith, while not giving away their presence.

 

“John!” Rodney half-shouted.

 

“I see it, I see it,” John muttered, dodging three darts in quick succession. “Hold on.”

 

“The inertial dampeners are in effect,” Rodney protested.

 

“It’s an expression!” John snapped. “Just hold on.”

 

Vala’s skill was on display as she headed for one of the Hive ships, moving along without hitting anything, and yet looking like she was just limping along.

 

“By God, she can act, even when she’s flying,” John said admiringly.

 

He followed her into the maw of the beast, landing in an empty bay next to Vala’s Wraith dart. “How are we doing?” John asked.

 

Rodney studied the screen on the LFD. “We’re clear, at least for now.”

 

John looked around the jumper. “We’ve been drilling for the last few days. You know your tasks. Stay with your buddy, stay in radio contact whenever possible, and meet back here in twenty minutes.”

 

They were packed into the jumper, and each team of two took a bomb between them. John was a little worried about their assignments, given that Rodney was the only true scientist, and he was with John. Vala accompanied Ronon and Teyla, and they were setting two bombs. The two Athosians had each been paired with a Marine, and Rodney had drilled all of them in all the ways things could go wrong.

 

John just hoped it would be enough.

 

He’d felt honor-bound to select the most dangerous location to set the bomb—closest to what they believed to be the center of the ship. They were heading down one corridor, Rodney watching the screen of the LSD, when he said, “Fuck. They’re coming.”

 

“How many?” John hissed.

 

“I don’t know, they’re all in a cluster!” Rodney whispered angrily. “Maybe four.”

 

John looked around frantically to find a hiding spot, and saw an alcove. “There.”

 

“That’s not going to hide us!”

 

“It will have to do!”

 

They didn’t have time to argue about it, and John was in the lead, so he picked up the pace, dragging Rodney along behind him. They flattened themselves against the wall, and John started when he felt a hand on his arm, stifling his cry of alarm.

 

He turned his head to see a thin, pale face behind the mesh of what was probably a holding cell.

 

“Save us,” the woman implored.

 

“We’ll be back,” John promised in a whisper. “We’re going to kill them all, and then we’ll be back, I swear.”

 

They were all silent as the Wraith passed by, the sounds of their feet echoing, and John just prayed that he wasn’t lying. They _would_ be back. When they’d killed all of the Wraith and the ship was just a husk, they’d return for those imprisoned on board the Hive ships.

 

 _They would_.

 

Those in the holding cell let them leave without a protest, for which John was grateful. “John,” Rodney whispered as they hurried down the hall, and John could hear the despair in his voice.

 

“I know,” he replied. “We’re going to try.”

 

That was all that needed to be said. They had to hide a couple more times in dead-end hallways and alcoves, but they finally made it to the place they had judged closest to the epicenter of the Hive. Their information was limited, but Rodney said, “Yeah, it looks like air ducts are the same everywhere. If nothing else, this is going to make them feel like shit.”

 

“Let’s hope you’re right,” John replied. “Quickly.”

 

They’d already used up fifteen of their allotted twenty minutes, and John wasn’t sure they’d be able to make it back in time. And he knew his team well enough to know that they would wait for another five minutes, and then would leave.

 

Thankfully, Pirsch had the gene, so assuming he made it out, there would be a pilot. Otherwise, they’d all be trying to weather the storm on the Hive ship.

 

“Got it,” Rodney said tersely. “Let’s go.”

 

“Keep an eye on the LSD,” John ordered. “I don’t believe that it could be this easy.”

 

“Don’t jinx us,” Rodney said irritably. “Okay, move.”

 

They ran in fits and starts—sprinting down an empty corridor, and then stopping for breathless moments, before starting up again. They’d all brought zats, and John ended up using his twice, and Rodney used his once. He had to admit that three shots and a disintegrated body was something of a boon.

 

The Wraith bodies disappeared, like they had never existed, and it was a relief to know that the bodies wouldn’t alert others to their presence.

 

At one point, they’d flattened themselves in an alcove for a few seconds, waiting for a larger patrol to march past, and John reached out for Rodney’s hand, tangling their fingers briefly.

 

Rodney rolled his eyes, but he squeezed back, so John knew he didn’t mind so much.

 

John could feel the seconds tick by, and he knew when their time was up, when the others would have left them behind if they’d followed orders.

 

He couldn’t say he was surprised to run up against the side of the jumper, trying to evade half a dozen Wraith on their tail.

 

Pirsch was piloting, and after a quick, satisfactory headcount, John said, “Go! Now!” Pirsch didn’t need telling twice, and they were away.

 

John took another look around, and saw Vala working on Teyla. “How bad?”

 

“She’ll live,” Vala said brusquely. “Don’t worry about her, I’ve got it.”

 

John chose to believe her for the moment, knowing that he had information that Caldwell needed. He radioed Caldwell, who sounded even more abrupt than usual. “What?”

 

“Whatever geniuses you’ve got, have them target the center of the ship,” John said. “Transmitting what data we can now.”

 

There wasn’t enough time for analysis, but the Wraith didn’t seem all that creative. One half of every team had been wearing a device that would map out the Hive ship, at least to a certain extent.

 

John figured that worst-case scenario would be that Caldwell’s bombs didn’t do shit, and they still had to destroy one Wraith hive ship.

 

“Back to Atlantis,” John ordered Pirsch. “I want to be on the ground now. Vala?”

 

“She’s losing blood, but I don’t think it’s life-threatening,” Vala said tersely. “The sooner we can get her to the infirmary, the better, though.”

 

John could sense when Pirsch put on speed, and he was grateful for it. As soon as they were in range, he radioed Beckett. “We need an emergency team to meet us in the jumper bay.”

 

A closer look revealed that Bering was slumped against Jesso, and John frowned. “What’s wrong with Bering?”

 

“He got stunned,” Jesso explained briefly. “I dragged him out.”

 

A closer look revealed Bering drooling on Jesso’s shirt, and John glanced around, realizing that they’d gotten off easy.

 

“Beginning our approach,” Pirsch announced.

 

“As soon as we’re down, take up battle stations,” John ordered. “If we have to go back up, I’ll let you know.”

 

Lam was waiting for them with a medical team and a gurney, and John helped Ronon transfer Teyla over to it. “I’ll go along with her if that’s all right,” Vala said. “I’m not going to be of much use elsewhere.”

 

“Go,” John ordered shortly. He looked at Vala. “Good luck.”

 

Ronon and Jesso slung Bering’s twitching form between them, and Ronon said, “Call if you need me.”

 

“Will do,” John said.

 

“I have to go,” Rodney said helplessly. “I should see what I can do for Sam, and make sure Zelenka is okay.”

 

John nodded, pressing a hard kiss against his mouth.

 

“I love you,” Rodney said. “Be careful.”

 

“We have a problem,” Elizabeth announced over the radio. “The Wraith ship you targeted seems to be dead in the water, and Caldwell has the second on the ropes now, but it seems like they’re beaming down to the city.”

 

“Like drowning rats abandoning ship,” O’Neill inserted.

 

John called Ronon over the radio. “There are Wraith on the city,” he said, sprinting for the nearest LSD. “Tell Vala that we’re going to need her.”

 

“On my way,” Ronon promised.

 

John felt the familiar rush of adrenalin, and a fierce sense that he would protect his city and the people on it, no matter what the cost.

 

~~~~~

 

Laro had been among the last to leave for the alpha site, staying until the last group went through the gate. Evan had suggested that he go back to the mainland, although that would have required Laro to leave sooner, but Laro had refused.

 

“I will go with the Atlanteans,” Laro had insisted. “Atlantis is my home now, and I want to be able to come back through the gate as soon as is possible. And—I do not think I could bear listening to what is happening on the radio and not be here.”

 

Evan understood. They might not be able to send jumpers for their people on the mainland right away, but those on the alpha site could dial the city as soon as the battle was over.

 

“I love you,” Evan said quietly, pressing his forehead against Laro’s.

 

“Be safe,” Laro said. “As safe as you can be, at least.”

 

“I promise,” Evan replied.

 

And then Laro was gone, and Evan was left to his duties, coordinating the attacks. As they’d discussed, they were out of radio contact with Sheppard. Reeves was commanding the group at the alpha site, and others were on the mainland with the Athosians. O’Neill was in the chair.

 

Evan joined Weir in her office, wearing full combat gear. He had no idea whether he’d need it, but it was better safe than sorry.

 

“The _Daedalus_ is ready to go,” Weir said in greeting. “Caldwell is on standby.”

 

Caldwell had taken the ship far enough away to hide its presence from the Wraith, awaiting their signal.

 

Evan nodded. “General O’Neill? How are you doing?”

 

“Gotta say, this chair is pretty damn cool,” O’Neill replied, speaking slowly and with apparent enjoyment. “Drones are standing by. I think I can pick off any Wraith darts that enter the atmosphere.”

 

“What about the Hive ships?” Evan asked.

 

“Maybe,” O’Neill replied. “But I think we ought to wait until we know if Sheppard is going to be successful, and if Caldwell is going to engage the Hive ship successfully.”

 

“Acknowledged,” Evan replied.

 

Evan shifted uncomfortably, knowing that they’d be sitting and waiting for a while.

 

“Wraith darts deployed,” O’Neill announced after half an hour had gone by.

 

Evan felt the impact shortly thereafter, although it was negligible.

 

“Damage report, Radek,” Evan said over the radio.

 

“Shields holding,” Radek replied. “Estimate we can withstand siege of this nature for some time before things get critical.”

 

Carter got on the line. “The ZPMs are in good shape, Lorne. The power fluctuations are still there, but we’ve got it under control for now.”

 

“Good,” Evan said.

 

The city shuddered slightly again, and Evan left Weir’s office, unable to stand around, preferring to pace in the gate room. Weir followed him, apparently feeling the same way.

 

“The Wraith are diving towards the city,” O’Neill announced. “Some of them are going to get through the shields.”

 

“Let me know when that happens,” Evan said, and put out an all call. “Everyone, we’re going to have some unwelcome visitors. Get your teams together, and prepare to move out.”

 

He shifted his own weapon and wished he could do the same. He’d been honored by Sheppard’s trust, but it felt like he was at loose ends right now.

 

“You’re needed here,” Weir said quietly, as though reading his thoughts. “We’re the last line of defense.”

 

Evan nodded, knowing what she meant. If Sheppard didn’t make it back, Evan was the one who would input the self-destruct codes, along with Weir and Carter, just before they went through the gate to the alpha site—assuming that was even a possibility.

 

“I have three darts that have made it through,” O’Neill called. “I’m not sure whether they’re picking people up or leaving them behind.”

 

Evan put out a call to the defense teams. “Stay under cover. Don’t let yourself get picked up.”

 

“They’re landing on the city, not picking people up,” Robbins said over the radio. “Do we engage?”

 

“With extreme prejudice,” Evan ordered, drumming his fingers against the butt of his P-90.

 

Weir offered him a sympathetic smile. “I understand.”

 

“Yeah,” Evan replied. “General O’Neill?”

 

“Little busy at the moment,” O’Neill said, sounding a little breathless.

 

“Chuck, what’s the word on Colonel Caldwell?” Evan said.

 

Chuck’s fingers flew over the board. “He’s still in one piece, sir, but a little too busy to say much.”

 

“Keep me informed,” Evan said, and settled in to wait.


	11. Endgame

_“That battle was fairly anticlimactic for those of us who weren’t on Atlantis. We listened in as best we could from the mainland and waited for word. There wasn’t a long, drawn-out battle. It felt like it lasted forever, but really, it was only a few hours before we received word that the poison had worked, and the_ Daedalus _and Atlantis were in one piece. We didn’t come through unscathed, but we were okay. Of course, that just meant we were back to the usual problems, the same problems we’ve dealt with for the last twenty years.”_

 

~ Interview with Daniel Jackson

 

Cam couldn’t conceal the relief he felt when Jon knocked on his parents’ backdoor, and he pulled him into a one-armed hug.

 

“Good to see you, too,” Jon replied. “How did things go?”

 

“Lorne’s parents and his sister are on board,” Cam replied. “They’re gathering supplies, and will wait for our arrival to get them off the planet.”

 

Jon hesitated. “About that. I got a ship, and I brought a friend.” He motioned to the shadows just off the stoop.

 

Cam grinned broadly when Teal’c stepped into the light. “Get in here,” Cam said, waiting until they were within the security of the house to pull Teal’c into a hug. “Good to see you, Teal’c.”

 

“It is a pleasure to see you as well,” Teal’c replied. “You’re looking well.”

 

“It’s mom’s home cooking,” Cam said easily.  “Sit down and have a cup of coffee,” Cam invited. “And tell me what’s going on.”

 

He kept his voice down, mindful of his family sleeping upstairs. Cam hadn’t been able to sleep, knowing that Jon was expected back, and knowing that they’d be leaving soon.

 

“Teal’c and Master Bra’tac were kind enough to find another ship,” Jon said. “I asked Teal’c to come back with me because we weren’t sure how easy it would be to get past earth’s defenses.”

 

Cam understood the caution. With only one good hand, piloting a _tel’tak_ was more difficult, and it would be a lot easier if they had two skilled pilots who weren’t held back by a disability. “Understandable,” he said, pleased at how even his voice was. “Are we going to take two ships to Pegasus?”

 

“No, I’m going to stay here,” Jon said as he sat down at the kitchen table, his gaze steady. He looked like any other teenager in his jeans and canvas jacket. No one would suspect what Jon was capable of, or what kind experience he had. “On Earth.”

 

Cam frowned, glancing at Teal’c for confirmation, and he inclined his head, although he didn’t speak. “I don’t understand,” Cam said.

 

“This was always the plan,” Jon said softly. “I was never going to go back to Atlantis. I don’t belong there. I belong here.”

 

“What will you do?” Cam asked.

 

Jon smiled. “Run supplies and people to a planet of your choosing, get people out who need to get out, provide information. Keep up our relationship with the free Jaffa, and help them fight off the Goa’uld wherever I can. The usual.”

 

“And if you’re captured?” Cam objected.

 

“Then I make sure they don’t get anything out of me,” Jon replied easily. “Look, Cam, the fact is, people are going to need to get off this planet. There are people who are going to be targeted, and they’re going to need an escape route. That’s me.”

 

Cam shook his head. “No, Jon.”

 

“Colonel Mitchell,” Teal’c said, leaning forward, speaking for the first time. “I believe that this is something that Jon must do, just as you must return to Atlantis. And I believe that we will need him here.”

 

Cam found it impossible to argue with that kind of conviction, especially coming from both of them. “All right. Then I guess you’re going to stay.”

 

Jon slapped him on the shoulder. “It’s necessary, Cam. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’ll stay off the grid, and no one will know what I’m doing here. Right now, I think we need to make a shopping list.”

 

“We’ve done most of that, but I’d appreciate another couple of sets of eyes,” Cam said.

 

They spent all night making plans and lists. Jon knew all the locations of the supply caches, and they made plans to stop off at one before continuing on. The rest they’d leave alone for the future, just in case they needed it.

 

Teal’c had some good ideas for establishing communications between Jon and anyone he recruited, and the free Jaffa, as well as ways to establish a covert trade route to transport supplies and people.

 

“It’s not going to look strange if we start stocking up on supplies?” Jon asked.

 

“That’s the great thing about being an American,” Cam said with a sardonic smile. “An alien vessel shows up? Everybody raids Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart. Mom’s already started stocking up on supplies, and she’s got plenty of canned goods. I have no idea whether it will make a dent in what Atlantis needs, but it’s something.”

 

Teal’c frowned. “What Atlantis needs most are farmers, yes? Others who seek peace, and who will assist in building a new society?”

 

Cam nodded. “Yes, I think so. Why?”

 

“There are free Jaffa who wish to be free of the Ori and the Goa’uld,” Teal’c replied. “Who wish to raise their families in peace.”

 

Cam thought about all the good that the free Jaffa could do, and he nodded. “I can check, but I think it would go over well.”

 

Teal’c inclined his head. “Very well.”

 

To his mom’s credit, she didn’t even blink when she saw Cam, Jon, and Teal’c in the kitchen when she appeared the next morning. “Cam, who’s your friend?” she asked.

 

“This is Teal’c,” Cam said. “Teal’c, this is my mom, Wendy.”

 

“Nice to meet you,” his mom said, and Teal’c echoed the sentiment. “Are you boys hungry?”

 

“We don’t want to put you to any trouble,” Jon protested.

 

His mom fixed him with a look. “We have to use up all the perishables in the fridge,” she pointed out. “I might as well get some good out of them.”

 

Seeing his mom at the stove, cooking for an army, brought back memories of high school, when most of Cam’s friends would crash at his house Friday night, along with a bunch of Ash’s crowd, too. His mom would always be in the kitchen Saturday morning, cooking up a storm for anybody who showed up.

 

That was just Cam’s mom, but he’d taken it for granted then; he couldn’t do that now.

 

“How soon before we leave?” she asked, setting the first platter of pancakes down on the table.

 

Cam took a sip of coffee, feeling terribly weary. “We’ll have to load things up as soon as the sun goes down, and then we’ll need to move fast.”

 

“As long as you’ve got room for people, I think we can pack your ship as tight as it can go, and Teal’c and I can pick up some folks,” Jon said.

 

Cam shook his head. “No offense, but I’m the one who made contact with most of them. I’d like to be the one to pick them up.”

 

Jon nodded. “Fair enough. We’ll pack our ship, and _you_ can pick people up and meet us at the rendezvous point.”

 

Cam agreed with the principle. It would take time to load the _tel’tak_ , and time to pick up everyone on the west coast. It was luck more than anything else to have everybody in a straight shot up the western seaboard. On the other hand, if something happened, it would leave them without supplies, and with small children in their care.

 

“You can go to Master Bra’tac,” Teal’c said, apparently sensing Cam’s concerns. “He has pledged to care for you and your people if something happens.”

 

Cam nodded. If the worst-case scenario was that they spent some time with the free Jaffa, there were worse fates. “All right.”

 

“Take your parents, Sarah, and the kids,” Jon said quietly. “Ash can help us load.”

 

Cam’s mom made a noise that might have been a protest, and he knew what she was thinking. If something happened, that would leave the family separated.

 

“We’ll leave it up to Ash and Sarah,” Cam said. “It’s what they want that matters.”

 

“We’ll do whatever is needed,” Cam’s mom said, obviously swallowing her anxiety.

 

Ash wandered into the kitchen with Alex on his hip. “Hey,” he said uncertainly when he caught sight of Teal’c.

 

“Ash, this is Teal’c,” Cam said. “T, this is my brother Ash, and his daughter, Alex.”

 

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Teal’c said.

 

“Same here,” Ash said pleasantly. “Alex, this is Jon.”

 

Alex hid her face in Ash’s shoulder. “She says hi,” Ash said. “Is this breakfast?”

 

Eventually, the rest of the family joined them, and Cam could feel the tension that ran just under the surface. They kept up light conversation in front of the kids, Alex and Rob, but once the meal had been consumed, Sarah put the kids in front of a movie, and they sat around the kitchen table.

 

“Jon and Teal’c need help loading up the _tel’tak_ with all the supplies,” Cam explained, “and I have to pilot the second ship.”

 

“I’ll stay,” Ash said immediately.

 

Sarah made a noise, but didn’t say anything more than that.

 

“I’ll be fine,” Ash promised her, reaching for her hand. “It has to be done, Sarah, and you’ll be with my parents and Cam. Me helping out is the least we can do.”

 

Sarah nodded. “Okay. When are we going to leave?”

 

“We’re going once it’s dark,” Cam replied. “Jon, Ash, and Teal’c will load the second ship, and we’ll pick up the others.”

 

“Do you really think this is going to work?” Cam’s mom asked, a little of her fear showing through.

 

Cam’s dad was the one to answer. “These boys will get us where we need to go,” he said. “We’re going to be fine.”

 

And Cam knew his dad never made a promise that he couldn’t keep.

 

~~~~~

 

Vala left Teyla in the care of the doctors. So far, there had been few injuries, and Beckett was taking care of Teyla himself.

 

“There are Wraith on the city,” Ronon said briefly. “We need to move.”

 

“I’ve already called Ripa and Alaan to join us,” Jesso said. “They’ll meet us here shortly.”

 

“We’ll use zats,” Vala said. “Less damage, and less to clean up later.”

 

Jesso nodded and passed the word along, and Ronon bared his teeth. “Good.”

 

As soon as Alaan and Ripa ran up, both in full combat gear, they headed out. Vala called Lorne on the radio. “Do you know where the Wraith are located?”

 

“Head to the East pier,” Lorne said. “I’ve already got two teams covering the south, and another on the north. General O’Neill, can you direct Vala?”

 

“Little busy targeting darts,” O’Neill said. “Talk to McKay.”

 

Vala called him. “We need to know where the Wraith on the east are.”

 

“You know, we’re a little busy here,” McKay snapped.

 

“And if you don’t want to die a horrible death, maybe you make time for this,” Vala replied. “Let Sam deal with the engineering.”

 

McKay snorted. “And if the city explodes?”

 

“At least we’ll take out the Wraith,” Vala said philosophically.

 

“Main level, coming down the corridor from the pier,” McKay replied. “There are two.”

 

Vala relayed the directions, and they took off running, taking the transporter and fanning out. They didn’t have to wait long; twenty feet away from the transporter, a Wraith stun beam hit the wall next to Vala.

 

Ronon fired and struck the Wraith in center mass, but it kept coming.

 

Vala and Jesso fired together, and the double zat hits dropped the Wraith. Vala fired once more to disintegrate the body.

 

Ronon grunted approvingly. “McKay, second Wraith?” he asked.

 

Apparently getting directions from McKay, Ronon ran down the corridor, with Vala and the Athosians following in a tight formation.

 

Time seemed to pass with that same elastic quality Vala always experienced when her blood was pumping and her adrenalin was up, passing in a blur of running, with moments of sheer terror.

 

Ripa was hit by a Wraith stunner, and Jesso was tasked with getting her to the infirmary. After that, they met up with Sheppard, who had teamed up with Robbins. “I think we’ve got most of them,” he said. “Atlantis has been helping as much as it can.”

 

“We’re good,” Vala informed McKay. “We’re with Colonel Sheppard.”

 

“Keep him in one piece,” McKay ordered.

 

The city shuddered, and Vala asked Sheppard, “What is that?”

 

“Kamikaze runs by the Wraith darts. They don’t necessarily survive the impact, but they’re trying to do as much damage as they can,” John replied. “General O’Neill has been able to destroy most of them.”

 

Sheppard’s contact with Atlantis meant that they had no trouble locating the rest of the Wraith, since Atlantis obligingly pointed them out. By the time they cleaned out the Wraith, Caldwell had sent word that the first Hive ship seemed to be dead in the water, and the second had been destroyed.

 

When the news came through, Lorne sent word to the alpha site, and to the mainland. They’d sent a single jumper to the mainland, which Daniel piloted back.

 

Vala didn’t know he was back on Atlantis until he joined them in their cleanup efforts. The North Pier had been particularly hard hit, and there were still personnel missing.

 

“Vala,” Daniel said, relief in his voice as he walked up to her.

 

She paused in the act of moving rubble. “Hi.”

 

He kissed her warmly, and she suddenly felt drained, as though she couldn’t move another inch, even if her life depended on it. “Go get cleaned up and get some sleep,” he said.

 

Vala shook her head. “I can’t.”

 

“I brought some of the Athosians back with me,” Daniel said. “We’re fresh, and you’re not. You can rejoin us after you get some rest, okay?”

 

Vala didn’t have the energy to argue. “Okay.”

 

When she entered their quarters, she looked around, feeling a little stunned at how much had happened. She thought about showering, but instead she just stripped off her dirty clothing and dropped it on the floor.

 

She was asleep by the time her head hit the pillow.

 

~~~~~

 

Being in the chair was more of a rush than Jack had anticipated. When he sat down, he could _feel_ Atlantis as though the city was an extension of himself. He could see the Wraith darts as they approached, the Hive ships that occupied space above the city. He felt the shudders of the city as the shield absorbed the impacts of the drone attacks right down to his bones.

 

And Jack was in the middle of it all, alive and vital as he hadn’t felt in months, maybe years.

 

“General O’Neill, the second Hive ship seems to be dead in the water,” Caldwell reported about an hour after Sheppard’s team had returned to Atlantis. “It’s maintaining orbit, but it’s not firing on us.”

 

“The second ship?” he asked.

 

“Moving slowly, and it’s not responding the way it had been, but there are darts heading to Atlantis,” Caldwell said.

 

“Do what you can to take them out,” Jack replied. “I’ll see what I can do from here.”

 

Targeting the darts took up most of his attention, although he spared a moment where he could to check in on the rest of the city. He knew that the shields were still at 70% power, and that they could continue taking a beating, but not forever.

 

Some of the darts that made it through disgorged Wraith; others crashed into the city. Jack knew there were Wraith on Atlantis, but wasn’t entirely sure where they were. He couldn’t think about that; he could only hope that Sheppard and the others would be able to find them and stop them, and that Sam was okay.

 

“That’s it,” Lorne said over the radio at last. “Sheppard’s chasing down the last Wraith, we’re calling in the people from the mainland and alpha site, and we’re starting cleanup, sir. Caldwell is taking over rescue efforts for those on the Hive ships that had been culled, per Colonel Sheppard’s orders.”

 

“Thank you, Major,” Jack replied. He stood up, and then immediately fell to his knees with a grunt, his vision graying out.

 

He was shaking all over, and he closed his eyes. There was no way he was going to call for help if he didn’t have to, knowing that there were injured people who needed help more than he did.

 

“Jack?” came Sam’s voice in his ear. “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m okay,” he said, but it came out more breathlessly than he wanted.

 

“I’ll be right there,” she promised. “Just sit tight.”

 

“Don’t think I have another choice,” he admitted.

 

Sam made a concerned noise. “Do you need a doctor?”

 

“No, I think I just need to get horizontal,” Jack replied.

 

He leaned back against the side of the chair and closed his eyes.

 

“Hey.” Jack opened his eyes to see Sam kneeling next to him. “Do you think you can walk, or do you need help?”

 

“You know who I miss?” Jack asked. “Teal’c. I really miss that guy.”

 

“Me, too,” Sam said with a wistful smile. “I miss him a lot.”

 

“I think I’m ready,” Jack said, allowing Sam to give him a hand up. His legs felt steadier now, and he put an arm over her shoulders. “How many people are we missing?”

 

“Final count isn’t in,” Sam replied. “At least six, and the _Daedalus_ took some damage. Two dead, and four are critical.”

 

Jack felt a pang, but he was too tired to feel much other than relief that the city was mostly in one piece, and casualties hadn’t been higher.

 

Sam helped him to bed, and asked, “Are you hungry? I think I have a power bar around here somewhere.”

 

“I’m too tired to be hungry,” Jack admitted. “Are you coming to bed?”

 

“Can’t,” she replied. “There was some damage to the desalinization system, and things are going to get very difficult, very soon if we don’t get that fixed.”

 

Jack’s eyes were already sliding shut. “I’ll come find you when I wake up.”

 

“You do that,” she replied, pressing her lips to his.

 

The next time he woke up, the sun was down, and a quick glance at the clock showed that he’d slept for a solid eight hours. Sam was curled up next to him, out cold, and Jack eased himself out of bed, pleased when his legs held him without so much as a tremor.

 

He didn’t want to wake her, so he skipped a shower but pulled on some clean clothes, putting his hand on the wall with a brief query to Atlantis, getting a wordless message that he interpreted as “all is well.”

 

Jack limped down the halls, a little stiff, noting where there had been some damage. He poked his head into the infirmary and caught sight of Cassie. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “I thought you were going to stay with the Athosians.”

 

“I’ll go back on the next trip,” Cassie replied. “I thought that Dr. Beckett might need me here more right now.”

 

Jack nodded. “How bad was it?”

 

Cassie hesitated. “We have fourteen confirmed dead, three still in critical condition, and a few serious injuries. It could have been a lot worse.”

 

“That it could have,” Jack agreed. “How are _you_?”

 

She smiled. “Since I was out of the action, it was more boring than anything else, but nerve-wracking, too, waiting for news. But it feels good to be able to help. Dr. Beckett and Dr. Lam are sleeping now.”

 

He followed her line of sight to Beckett’s sleeping figure on a gurney, close enough for Cassie to call him if he was needed. “You know, I’m proud of you.”

 

Cassie flushed. “Thanks. Really. You going to go to bed?”

 

“I just woke up,” Jack said. “I’m going to do my rounds.”

 

He wandered the city, looking at the damaged areas, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been.

 

They’d come through mostly unscathed, and much better than they’d had any right to expect.

 

When he made it to the gate room, he saw the light in Weir’s office, and he climbed the stairs and poked his head inside. Weir was sharing a drink with Caldwell, who had the look of a man who was exhausted, but too wired for sleep.

 

Jack knew that look all too well; he’d seen it in the mirror.

 

“How are you feeling?” Weir asked as Jack poked his head in.

 

“Better,” he admitted. “I’m not sure what happened, but that wiped me out.”

 

“John said that’s happened to him before,” Weir replied. “Do you want a drink?”

 

“Definitely.”

 

Jack took a sip and coughed. “What’s that?”

 

“Radek’s latest homebrew,” Weir said with a laugh. “It packs quite the punch.”

 

“I might manage to sleep tonight with another one of these in me,” Caldwell said with a faint smile, and Weir refilled his glass.

 

“How’s the ship?” Jack asked, taking another cautious sip.

 

Caldwell shrugged. “She’ll still fly. I talked to Dr. Novak and Sam, and they think we can still use it to haul supplies.”

 

Jack rubbed his eyes. “How is that going to work?” he asked Weir. “Are we going to be okay?”

 

Weir nodded. “Oddly enough, I think this is only going to help us. We took out two Wraith ships with minimal loss of life, and Atlantis is still functioning. Kolya’s not around to work against us. I think allies will come out of the woodwork to have some protection against the Wraith.”

 

“To unexpected silver linings,” Jack said, holding up his glass.

 

They talked casually of future plans, and how they might supplement their stores. Caldwell left after he finished his second drink, yawning widely, and Jack tipped his head back.

 

“It feels more real,” Weir said after a long silence. “Like we’re really not going back.”

 

Jack thought about that for a minute. “You—we—didn’t get any last minute save from Earth this time. We handled it ourselves, just like we’re going to handle the aftermath.”

 

“That’s probably it,” she agreed. “How do you think Cam is doing?”

 

“I hope he’s okay,” Jack said. “I hope he shows up soon.”

 

“So do I,” Weir said quietly.

 

Jack left soon after, feeling pleasantly buzzed from the alcohol, getting back to his quarters and sliding into bed next to Sam.

 

She made a pleased sound and slung her arm over his middle. “Okay?”

 

Jack pulled her close and pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “Okay,” he agreed.

 

And he was.

 

~~~~~

 

Spending a day with the Athosians wasn’t enough, and Daniel really wasn’t needed on the city, so he asked to be in the next group, along with Vala.

 

“I take it you enjoyed your visit,” Elizabeth said when he made the request.

 

Daniel nodded. “They’re a lovely people.”

 

“They are,” she agreed. “And staying with them is a nice break. I hope you have a great time.”

 

Vala was fairly excited by the prospect, and Teyla, Lorne, and Laro were going with them so that Teyla could finish convalescing on the mainland. Her injury hadn’t been life threatening, but she was still moving slowly.

 

Slowly but surely, Atlantis was getting back to normal, finishing up repairs, and establishing new trade agreements. Elizabeth had predicted that they’d have allies lining up with the promise of protection, and she’d been right. They had a workable plan to feed everyone and supply the city.

 

The only dark cloud was Cam’s continued absence, but as long as it had taken SG-1 to make it to Atlantis, it probably didn’t mean anything.

 

They were packing up to head out to the mainland when Weir called him over the radio. “Daniel, there’s an approaching ship. It looks like it might be a _tel’tak_. I’ve already told Major Lorne that you’ll be delaying your departure.”

 

“How soon will it get here?” Daniel asked.

 

“Two days on the outside,” Elizabeth replied. “One day until we can make radio contact.”

 

 “What’s two more days?” Daniel asked. “Thanks, Elizabeth.”

 

Vala had paused in her packing. “What’s wrong?”

 

“A _tel’tak_ is approaching,” Daniel replied. “Two days.”

 

Vala’s face brightened. “Cam?”

 

“Maybe,” Daniel replied. “I hope so.”

 

“How long before we know?”

 

“A day.”

 

Vala pouted. “I don’t want to wait.”

 

“Neither do I,” Daniel agreed, pulling her into his arms.

 

“How will we pass the time?” Vala teased.

 

Daniel snorted. “I could think of a few things.”

 

They spent the afternoon pleasantly engaged, emerging to have dinner with Jack, Sam and Cassie. Everybody seemed on edge, although they tried to keep things on the lighter side.

 

“I really hate waiting,” Cassie said suddenly after they’d finished their meal and were waiting around.

 

“So do I,” Sam replied quietly, with a wry smile.

 

Sheppard stopped by their table. “We’re having a movie night in one of the lounges,” he said. “If people are looking for a distraction.”

 

There was a general chorus of agreement, and they spent the evening watching whatever movies people had dragged out. It was strangely convivial, and the movies provided enough of a distraction to ease the tension.

 

They went to bed well after midnight, and Daniel woke when his radio squawked. He fumbled it into his ear and said, “Yeah?”

 

“We made contact,” Elizabeth said. “Cam is in one piece, and he brought company.”

 

“How many?” Daniel asked, hearing a strange note in her voice.

 

“Cam’s family, Major Lorne’s family, and Sergeant Dawson’s,” Elizabeth said. “Dr. Kusanagi’s family are followers of Origin.”

 

Daniel winced, but he couldn’t disagree with that call. “How soon will they be here?”

 

“Estimated arrival time is eight hours,” Elizabeth replied. “So, you can get some more sleep. I thought you’d want to know.”

 

“I did, thanks,” Daniel replied, turning to Vala, who was awake. “Eight hours, and Cam’s in one piece.”

 

Vala breathed a sigh of relief. “Wonderful. Now, let’s go back to sleep.”

 

Daniel pulled her close. “Sounds good.”

 

He didn’t sleep again, but just held Vala close and gave thanks for their good fortune.

 

~~~~~

 

Sam stood on the South Pier, shifting impatiently. There were a lot of others who had come out to greet the ship, but SG-1 was front and center with Sheppard and Weir, and the rest of the leadership of Atlantis ranged behind them. Corporal Dawson pushed her way to the front, wearing Athosian garb since her pregnant state made a uniform unworkable.

 

Lorne had returned with Laro from the mainland after hearing that his family was going to be arriving. The air was tense and excited, but without the anxiety that had attended others’ arrivals.

 

Cam had a scanner to check for Goa’uld, so they didn’t have to worry about the Trust infiltrating them, and Cam was smart enough not to bring the Ori to the city.

 

The _tel’tak_ appeared on the horizon, and landed gently on the pier, and the back hatch opened. Sam waited impatiently for the first person to appear, and Cam was the first out of the ship.

 

Sam rushed up to him, and he caught her up in a hard hug. They held on for a long moment, long enough for Corporal Dawson’s family to exit. “You look good,” Sam said, pulling back, a little choked up.

 

“You too,” he said, his teeth very white against his beard, and then he was hugging Vala, then Daniel and shaking Jack’s hand.

 

“Mom!” Lorne called, and Sam turned to see an older couple exit the _tel’tak_. They held onto Lorne tightly, and then a woman who looked a lot like Lorne exited, and they were in a group hug.

 

“Mer?” The woman had to be McKay’s sister, because she looked just like him. McKay rushed forward, pulling her into a hug.

 

Sam was more than a little choked up at the outpouring of affection and relief that came with their safe arrival.

 

Cam was pulling Elizabeth into a tight embrace, whispering something in her ear that caused her to let out a watery laugh, and Sam was being introduced to Cam’s family, including his brother, who bore a strong resemblance to him.

 

It took Sam a minute, and then she asked, “Where’s Jon?” she asked Cam when he was free.

 

“With Teal’c,” Cam explained. “He wanted to stay. We spent the last week or so setting up a drop off point on the edge of the Milky Way.”

 

“Like an Underground Railroad?” Jack asked wryly.

 

Cam nodded. “Something like that. I have a lot to fill you in on.”

 

“Medical first,” Sheppard said. “And then we’ll get you folks settled in, and we can do the debrief.”

 

Cam gave her another hug. “Good to see you.”

 

Jack put his arm around Sam’s shoulders as she watched him leave, feeling a warm satisfaction.

 

“Stackhouse is going to have his hands full,” Sam observed.

 

“We’re going to have a lot more kids here,” Jack said. “It’s going to feel like a real city.”

 

Sam hesitated. “This probably isn’t the time to mention it, but…”

 

“The answer to your question is yes,” Jack said. “I never thought I’d be on board, but yeah. We should try.”

 

Sam leaned her head against Jack’s shoulder. “Okay.”

 

It took a few hours before Cam could join them, and he brought along his brother and Rodney’s sister. “Stackhouse is in his element,” Cam said, dropping down in a chair. “I swear, he’s the only person that could give my mom a run for her money on organizing.”

 

Ash took a seat next to him, nodding at those assembled, and appearing slightly nervous, although Rodney’s sister seemed perfectly composed.

 

“I’ll fill you in, and then you can do the same,” Weir said. She gave a brief overview of the last couple of months, and Cam began to talk about what had happened on earth.

 

“When the Ori showed up, we knew it changed the whole game,” Cam said. “At that point, we got to thinking about how many people we could get out. Jon stayed behind to build a network and help others.”

 

“You didn’t have any trouble getting out of there?” Sam asked.

 

Cam shook his head. “Having the Ori ship in orbit was actually helpful. They weren’t looking for a pair of _tel’taks_ leaving the planet, and people don’t see what they don’t expect to see most of the time.”

 

“I hear you brought supplies,” Jack said.

 

“Whatever we could pack in,” Cam agreed. “The kids didn’t care for being cooped up, and Jeanie and Sarah both deserve a medal for keeping them occupied.”

 

Jeanie grinned. “It was interesting.”

 

“Well, it’s good to have everyone here,” Elizabeth said. “We’ll definitely put you to work.”

 

Ash cleared his throat. “Actually, about that. I was a sergeant in the Army before I got out, and I’m a mechanic. I want to do what I can.”

 

Jack nodded. “We’ll get you back on board.”

 

“And since I’m technically the smarter McKay, I’d be happy to help,” Jeanie offered with an impish grin, making Rodney squawk.

 

Sheppard laughed. “I think your sister and I are going to get along just fine.”

 

“Sergeant Stackhouse will do a thorough review of what everybody brings to the table, and we’ll be happy to have your help,” Weir said with a smile. “Thank you for taking the risk.”

 

“I think we’re going to grab dinner,” Cam said. “Who wants to join us?”

 

Everybody went to the mess in a big crowd, and Sam smiled when she saw Corporal Dawson’s mom behind the counter. Dawson had a big grin on her face, as did her mom, and Sam thought she could see Dawson’s dad and brother behind them.

 

They filled up a couple of tables, in a loud family dinner. The kids were running around, along with the kids they’d taken in, already fast friends.

 

Sam looked around, and realized suddenly that she was home. As strange as this was, as much as she missed earth and her old life, she was _home_.


	12. Epilogue

_“Things got easier after that. We started bringing people in from Earth, never very many at a time, but a steady trickle. We focused on the families of Atlantis and SGC personnel, and whoever Jon thought might be in the most danger. Things on Earth got worse before they got better, as I think everybody knows. But you know what? We made a life out here in Pegasus, and it’s a good one. I think just about everybody here thinks of it as home.”_

 

~Interview with John Sheppard

 

John dropped down into the seat next to Rodney, whose argument with his sister was still going strong.

 

He wasn’t sure they ever stopped arguing.

 

Caleb caught John’s eye and rolled his eyes, causing John to grin at him. “Uncle John!” Madison said. “Are you coming to my birthday party?”

 

“You bet,” John said. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I think your Uncle Rodney is pretty excited about it, too.”

 

The sound of Rodney’s name grabbed his attention. “What?”

 

“Maddie’s birthday party,” Jeanie explained, apparently able to follow two conversations at once. “You’re coming.”

 

“Of course I’m coming,” Rodney said.

 

“Awesome!” Madison said. “Oh, there’s Will and Tommy!”

 

Lorne’s nephews were the only ones who had the gene naturally, and the safety measures on Atlantis were keeping them out of trouble for the most part.

 

Plus, John and O’Neill had managed to convince Atlantis to keep the kids out of certain areas of the city, which made things safer.

 

Caleb glanced at his watch. “I should get set up for the day,” he said. “See you later.” He kissed Jeanie goodbye and waved at John and Rodney.

 

Jeanie smiled. “You know, I feel like Madison’s getting a better education here than she would have at home, although I feel guilty saying that.”

 

“She has some of the best minds on Earth at her disposal,” Rodney said, a note of pride in his voice. “Of course she’s going to do well.”

 

Jeanie shook her head. “Same old Mer.”

 

“What?” Rodney demanded.

 

“Don’t worry about it,” she replied with an indulgent smile. “I’ll see you later?”

 

“Mission briefing this morning, and a mission this afternoon,” Rodney replied. “But maybe dinner tonight?”

 

“See you then.”

 

“I think it’s pretty cool that you guys are so close,” John said.

 

Rodney gave him a strange look. “I wouldn’t say we’re _close_.”

 

“Maybe you weren’t before, but you guys seem to be getting closer now,” John pointed out.

 

Rodney nodded. “I never thought I’d get the chance, and I don’t want to waste it, you know?”

 

John thought of his own family back on Earth, and he felt a pang. But he felt it was for the best; they’d broken ties a long time ago, and he couldn’t see them on Atlantis now. “I do know.”

 

He bumped Rodney’s leg under the table, and they shared a warm smile. “Ready to head out?” John asked.

 

Rodney nodded. “Let’s get to work.”

 

And that’s what they did.


End file.
